Elements of Hyrule
by The Last Princess of Hyrule
Summary: [Book 2 of the Ocarina of Time Trilogy] Nine years after the Great War, Hyrule has been at peace. But, in a quiet forest clearing, a great prophecy is stirring, leading to the revelation of a force greater than anything ever imagined.[DISCONTINUED]
1. Intro to the Forest

_"In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule,_

_Long have I served as the guardian spirit. _

_I am known as the Deku Tree._

_The children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. _

_Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy._

_However, there is one boy who does not have a fairy. _

_This is his story . . ."_

-Great Deku Tree


	2. Chapter One: The Boy Without a Fairy

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

- Y -

_**The Ocarina of Time Trilogy**_  
**_Book Two: "Elements of Hyrule" - _****Chapter One: The Boy Without a Fairy**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

- Y -

"Sari-ya!" whined a boy's voice. "Wake _up_!"

The mop of green hair stirred angrily. "Go 'way . . ." was the annoyed reply.

The boy jumped onto her bed, exerting some of his seemingly endless supply of energy. "But Saria, it's morning and it's summer! Don't you want to play?"

"Not this early." Saria opened one eye and glared at the boy. "Go bother Joseph."

"I did," the boy admitted, stilling his motion. "He and Sonya are busy with the triplets and nobody else likes me."

He was very observant for a ten-year old boy, Saria had to admit. The boy was small for his age and lean, like any active boy. He had blonde hair the color of golden leaves in autumn, which was long and messy and hung obstructively in his ocean blue eyes.

Saria heaved a sigh and sat up. "Now Link, you know that's not true."

In the last nine years, Saria had not changed at all, while the little orphaned boy she had fostered changed greatly. Nor was her Forest Fairy, Mi, any different from the day Coquina had stumbled into the sacred Kokiri forest.

The boy gave her a piercing, pitiful look. Whenever she looked into his eyes like that, Saria couldn't bring herself to refuse whatever his wish was.

"All right." Saria smacked her pillow, startling the sleeping fairy on it into wakefulness. "All right. Just let me get dressed."

Link snickered and turned around. Neither minded that he was still in the room; they had known each other too long for that.

Saria brushed out her short, fluffy green hair. "What are Sonya and Joseph doing that they're too busy to see you?" she asked as she put in a headband.

"Kaoko and Seratt's eighth anniversary." Link fiddled with the leather belt around his waist, tightening then loosening its gilt buckle.

How could she have forgotten? Kaoko and his Light fairy, Seratt, had been partners for eight years now, to this day. For each of these yearly anniversaries, the Kokiri and fairy did something special for the other, as a wedded couple might. Sometimes, the close friends of the pair would hold a get-together, like a birthday party.

"I forgot all about that," Saria replied as she pulled on her dark green turtleneck sweater. "There're too many anniversaries to remember, especially my own."

"Yeah," answered Link glumly as he straightened his loose evergreen tunic.

Saria clapped her hand over her mouth. Oh, spirits, why did she say _that_? Link was the only Kokiri in the forest without a fairy partner and was always a little testy whenever someone mentioned things that had to do with one, which was often.

"I'm sorry, Link," Saria apologized as she pulled a snug grass-colored tunic over her head. The Speaker of the Kokiri wrapped wide green belt around her waist, adjusted it, and turned around.

"Saria?" Link turned as Saria put on her knee-length leather boots. "Do you think a fairy will ever come to me?"

Saria stood up and locked eyes with the sullen boy. "The longer you have to wait for your fairy, the better friends you'll be. And at this rate, you and your fairy will be a perfect match." She chuckled as she walked over to the table and pulled an apple out of a bowl. Mi fluttered over as Saria began to slice the fruit.

"Are you sure?" Link grabbed a slice and popped it into his mouth.

"Link, come on." Saria bit into her own piece of apple. "Have I ever been wrong?"

"Yes. Or did you forget the time when you had me pick the wrong mushrooms and I got sick for two weeks?" Link eyed her as he took another piece.

"It was a rhetorical question," Saria protested as she cut a slice of apple into pieces small enough for her fairy. "And that was one time."

"What about last winter when the pond was frozen and you told me it was alright to go skating, but the ice was thin and I fell through and got sick?" Link grabbed another slice.

"All right, twice."

"And then there was the time when—"

"Okay, I get the point!" interrupted Saria. "But I know I'm right this time."

"I believe you." Link reached for another bit of apple, but Saria slapped his hand away. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I wanted it." Saria stuck the last piece of the red fruit into her mouth and chewed it slowly, savoring its sweet juices. "Mmmm . . . this is so good."

"Ha ha," said Link sarcastically. "I was hungry."

"Didn't you eat breakfast?" Saria asked as Mi finished her share.

"Yeah, but that was an hour ago," Link whined.

Saria rolled her eyes. "Link: the bottomless pit; that's what I should call you."

Link gave her an innocent smile. "Can we go yet?"

"Fine." Saria pushed aside the burlap flap looked out. "What do you want to do?"

"I dunno."

"Well, we could gather fruit," Saria offered. "I haven't got much left." She left the doorway, opened up a cupboard, and frowned. "Go wait outside for me. I'll get some baskets."

Link nodded and left the house. The forest was unusually quiet, he noticed as he stepped out. The clearing where the Kokiri lived was still and silent, which was very strange for the time of year, as summer had just begun.

The golden sun warmed the soft, fertile earth and plants were growing rapidly. The ground was carpeted in bright, luscious green grass, the trees full of big emerald leaves. The little brook that ran through the meadow to the pool gushed happily; tumbling over smooth, shining stones, silver fish glistening in its wake. Nevertheless, for all the perfections of this day, only Link was out enjoying it.

The boy's gaze swept his home carefully, trying to pick out what was amiss, for it was never without good reason that the Kokiri stayed inside. Then, as he heard Saria walk up behind him, he saw it.

At his left, to the western bounds of the meadow, stood a black horse and rider. The man on horseback looked, to Link, like a giant Kokiri. Of course, the man was not Kokiri, for Kokiri never grew up once they reached a certain age, usually between eight and twelve years old.

Saria had taught Link about the world outside the forest, Hyrule, Link being the only Kokiri interested. Saria said, outside the forest, the people, called Hylians, all grew very big and kept aging. Link thought it sad that, when a Hylian had lived eighty years, they would not be able to play tag, as a Kokiri of that age would.

"Saria . . . it's a Hylian!" Link exclaimed in a quiet whisper.

Saria walked to his side and squinted at the visitor. "I don't think so. He's big, but . . ."

"He's Gerudo," Mi informed them.

Neither bothered to ask how she knew as the Gerudo turned his head and spotted the two Kokiri. Link gasped when his eyes met the Gerudo's, which were a brilliant orange, set off by the man's fiery red hair.

Link felt his body gripped with fear, remembering those eyes and this man. They were from a nightmare the boy had, which he'd seen so many times he knew the details by heart. It was without a doubt that this man and the one in his dream were one in the same.

The Gerudo wore dusty iron-plated armor, and it was hard to tell whether it would be brown or black when clean. Under the plates was thick, ebony colored mail, laced with a string of gold and green beads. Wrapped around his wrists and ankles were strips of white cloth, decorated with a simple red and blue design. On his broad shoulders, the armor was studded with several square topazes. Off his back hung a short white cloth, decorated like those around his wrists, its purpose to keep the sun from warming the mail and searing the Gerudo's back.

Saria gripped Link's hand tightly as the Gerudo rode up to them. "I'm looking for the Great Deku Tree." His voice was low and deep, the sound of a huge iron church bell when rung.

Saria and Link, spellbound and terrified by his size, were struck silent.

The Gerudo's eyes narrowed. "Do you know where it is?" he asked in an expectant and frustrated voice.

The tone brought Link from his trance and he nodded, pointing with a slightly trembling finger to the east, opposite the direction the Gerudo had come.

"That way? Good." Without so much as a thank you, he was off.

Link and Saria watched as the man and his horse disappeared quietly into the trees. They were still for quite some time until Saria broke the silence.

"Wow . . ." she breathed. "A Gerudo in the forest."

Link tugged at Saria's hand. "Come _on, _Saria. I thought we were going to gather fruit." He wanted to get as far away from the strange man as he could. Link didn't want the things he had seen in his dream to come true if they accidentally met up with the Gerudo again.

Saria shook her head to get her mind off the visitor. "Oh yeah, sorry."

She followed Link north up a shallow slope to the edge of the clearing. This part of the forest was much more dense than the rest, filled with exotic plants and creatures. The place, known as the Lost Woods, was dangerous to all races but Kokiri. The Lost Woods grew great, magical trees, created by the sovereign of the forest, the Great Deku Tree, to guard the Sacred Forest Meadow. These trees misled travelers in the forest, tricking the eyes and taking advantage of old superstitions, which drove the travelers out of the Woods in fear.

"Mi, how did you know that stranger was a Gerudo?" Saria asked her fairy. "Better yet, what _is _a Gerudo?"

"I can't answer either of your questions with a good reason," Mi said almost apologetically. "Call it fairy's intuition, but I just knew."

"Could your pendent have told you?"

Mi shrugged. "Maybe."

Link listened to the conversation without interest. He had no idea what Saria was talking about when she mentioned a pendent. Ressa had a pendent, but it was just a big shiny stone she wore around her neck that proved no use except to make her sister, Tessa, madly jealous. Yet Saria spoke of Mi's pendent as if it had some strange powers.

Link ignored his curious mind and concentrated on finding some ripe fruit. The trees of the Lost Woods made no move to harm the two Kokiri. Everything was peaceful and calm when Saria found a tree.

"Link!" She stopped him and pointed to a broad tree with long, glittering green leaves. "Shine Fruits!" High above them were beautiful blossoms, the petals pale lavender at the center then faded into pale pink. Scattered among the flowers were the early fruits; round, squishy-looking things that much resembled and tasted like nectarines, but were lavender in color.

Link and Saria walked up to the tree. Mi flew from Saria's shoulder and alit on a fruit. She studied it for a moment before yelling down, "It's all right! They're ripe!"

Link grabbed a low branch and began to pull himself up. "I'll pick them," he called to Saria as he climbed. "You catch."

"Okay . . ." Saria replied unsurely. She was not every good at catching things.

Several minutes later, Link stood between two thick branches, his right arm wrapped around one and plucking fruit with his left.

"Here it comes!" He held the fruit directly over Saria and dropped it. She held up her hands and the projectile landed softly in them.

Later in the day, when Link had stripped the Shine tree of the fruits, he and Saria walked home slowly, talking. They were so deep in their conversation that neither noticed someone running toward them until they heard a familiar voice calling, "Saria! Saria!"

- Y -


	3. Chapter Two: The Interim's End

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

- Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Two: The Interim's End**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

- Y -

Saria looked up. Ahead of them was the self-appointed leader of the Kokiri, Mido. He reached the pair gasping for breath, his freckled face flushed from running.

"Mido?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. "Is something wrong?" Mido was the only Kokiri Saria knew who never entered the Lost Woods. For some reason, he was terrified of them. He would not have come in looking for her, especially at a dead run, if he had not a _very _good reason.

The boy took a deep breath, his mahogany hair drooping tiredly in his eyes, which were the same color. "Everyone's looking . . . for you . . ." he managed to say. "The Great Deku . . . Tree has . . . summoned you . . ."

"He summoned me?" Saria exclaimed. "Mi didn't say a thing." She glared pointedly at her fairy, who ducked out of view. Whenever the Deku Tree wanted to talk to one of the Kokiri, it sent a message directly to that Kokiri's partner, the fairy relaying the summon. It was odd that Mi had not conveyed the message to Saria.

"Something about a . . . visitor, I think . . ."

Saria and Link exchanged glances; both knew what Mido was talking about. _This must have something to do with the Gerudo from earlier, _Saria thought to herself as she helped Mido to his feet. The three Kokiri hurried out of the woods. Whenever the Great Deku Tree summons one, promptness is a virtue.

- Y -

When Sonya finally left her home sometime near sundown, the first thing she did was walk to Link's tree house. Unlike Link, most Kokiri share their houses, living with siblings, friends, or the Kokiri they had been raised by. Sonya lived with her brother and triplet Kokiri children, who were ten years each, the same as Link. Sonya and her twin, Joseph, were both twenty-four, though they did not look it.

Kokiri were known for two things; their fairy partners and that their bodies stayed children for the duration of the their lives. When one reached a certain age, different for each Kokiri, but always between eight and fourteen, their body stopped growing. In Sonya's case, her body was twelve years old, and generally, she acted like a twelve-year-old child. Sometimes, Sonya showed wisdom beyond her young mentality, as other times she would act silly, below her mentality of a twelve year old.

Age though, did not add to status among Kokiri. Mido, the leader, had only an eleven-year mentality. He commanded much respect and resent from the Kokiri, though four were older than he.

Sonya sighed wistfully, wondering how she could be so old. She and Joseph had lived twenty-four years, twelve growing, and twelve as they were now. Only Saria, Mido, and Ringo had lived longer. Six Kokiri in the forest had not reached their final mentalities yet, one of them her friend, Link.

As she reached the top of the slope that led to his house, Sonya spotted the boy, seated by one of the massive roots.

"Hey, Link!" she called as she hurried down to him. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, hi Sonya." Link looked up and gave her a smile. "I'm drawing a picture."

Sonya bent over to examine it. Scratched over the ebony bark was a hideous lizard-like monster with a long, spiky tail. It was rearing up fiendishly before the figure of a person, who appeared to be firing an arrow at the creature.

She ran her hand across the monster. "How'd you draw this?"

Link held up a small white stone. "I found this in the forest a few days ago. It works really well."

"Certainly does," Sonya murmured.

"So, do you like my picture?" asked Link hopefully.

Sonya rubbed her chin. "It's good," she said, "but it's missing something . . ."

"What?"

"Let me see that rock. I'll add it for you." Sonya could hardly repress the smirk threatening to cross her face as Link handed her the drawing utensil.

"Now then . . ." Sonya put the tip of the rock on the bark and began to draw. First, she made a circle to the high left of the monster, and then drew a bunch of lines flaring out from it. Sonya added a smiling face to the center of the sun.

"Hey!" Link exclaimed when he saw what she had done. "You ruined it!"

"No, I didn't," protested Sonya, handing him the white stone. "I made it happy."

"It was a battle! It's not supposed to be happy!" he whined. "Son-ya!"

"Aww, poor widdle Winkie!" Sonya crooned in her most obnoxious baby voice. "His picture's aw wuined."

"I'm gonna get you for this," Link said as he lunged at her.

Sonya laughed as she tried to dodge, but felt Link catcher her wrist.

"Gotcha!" The boy was smiling as he pulled her to the ground. Before Sonya had a chance to retaliate, Link had one hand on each shoulder, holding her down, smirking.

Sonya struggled futilely, wrenching her shoulders back and forth to escape his grasp, all in vain. Finally, she relaxed, breathing heavily. "All right," she said. "You win."

Link looked smug as he let her up. Sonya glared daggers at him until she suddenly realized what was missing from this picture.

"Where's Saria?"

Link instantly became solemn. "She was summoned to the Great Deku Tree."

"How come?" Sonya tucked her legs beneath her and faced Link.

"I don't know." Link's expression was grave. "I think it has something to do with the visitor in the forest today."

"So _that's _what it was."

"Huh?" Link gave Sonya a confused look.

"Kettes told me something was going to happen this morning and he made me swear not to go outside," Sonya explained, referring to her Spirit fairy partner, who was currently perched on her right shoulder. "Come to think of it, Tal did the same thing to Joseph," she added on a second thought. "And the triplets' fairies did to."

"Mi didn't seem worried about anything this morning," said Link.

Sonya shrugged. "Were you outside when it happened?"

"Yeah."

"Well, tell me about it," Sonya urged eagerly. Link told her about the Gerudo, which took quite a while, for he also had to explain why the man was fully-grown.

Eventually, the sun set and Sonya went home, more confused now than she had been before. Of course, Link had not understood either, but disregarded it as he climbed the ladder into his tree house.

Inside was a single circular room with an unlit fire pit in the center. To the left, clustered near the door, were a few clay jars, and shelves stacked with food, dishes, and other useful items. Farther down on the left was a small wooden table with two little stools. In a small bowl on the table was a cluster of beautiful wildflowers. Saria had brought them to "freshen the scent" in Link's house. To his right was a stack of kindling and a washstand. On the stand was a small porcelain bowl and rag.

Link sighed and rummaged around on the shelves for something to eat. Unfortunately, all that was there were a few strips of some dried meat. The boy grabbed them and chewed slowly as he kicked off his boots and sat down on the bed at the far wall.

Darkness had fallen and it didn't appear that Saria was back yet. Normally, after she'd been summoned, Saria came to Link and told him all about it. However, since it had taken this long, Link figured it couldn't be too much longer before Saria returned. So, he finished his meal and lay down on the bed. In no time, he was fast asleep.

- Y -

However, elsewhere in the forest, others were still very much awake.

"Great Deku Tree, please," Saria pleaded to the old patron of the forest. "I know omens and this Gerudo was no omen."

"He was!" the tree bellowed in rage. It had long since lost its temper from the girl's incessant arguing. "Dost thou doubt in me?"

"No, lord," Saria bowed her head in respect. "But this cannot be the beginning. It's still too early for _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _to be in effect."

"Beith thou in belief or not, thy nine year interim hath passed." The deep voice was more calm and patient now.

Up in the Deku Tree's branches, Saria's fairy, Mi, began to recite the prophecy in her clear, ringing voice. "'When the way and tie of Tradition art encountered by the mysterious of the Outside, and the nine year interim hath passed, a time of Darkness shalt begin. Yet, the Light of Creation hath power enough to bring about the downfall of the Black. Only when the Elements hath been gathered and the Golden Power of the outside world released and shattered, shalt the Battle of the Ages begin.'"

Saria listened in silence, remembering the time she had last heard the prophecy; nine winters prior, when Link was still an infant.

"'The Three of the Virtues,'" Mi continued tirelessly. "'The King, the Hero, and the Princess, must stand to fight alone and mayst the conqueror hold the Golden Power true.'"

The clearing was silent for several minutes until the Deku Tree spoke. "Dost thou see? Thy perfect life is not meant to continue such as it is."

"But he's too young," Saria tried to protest, but the realization that everything she had known was changing had hit her. Tears were splashing in rapid succession down her cheeks.

"I shalt summon him to me upon the morn," the tree said gently. "Is there anything I can do for thee?"

Saria considered the request. "Give him help."

"Thy pardon?"

"He doesn't know anything about the world outside the forest," explained Saria as Mi alit comfortingly upon her shoulder. Saria knew, if Link were to take place in this grand prophecy, he would surely leave the forest to do so, much as she hated the idea. "Send him a guide."

"Very well," the Great Deku Tree complied. "Thou mayst depart. But remember, thou can never breathe a word of this."

Saria stood and bowed to her guardian, the great protector of the forest, with the utmost respect. "I understand."

Saria left the clearing in a state much similar to the quiet before the storm. For, once she was home, the girl flung herself on her bed and let free a heartbroken cry. She wept that night in a way she hadn't wept since her beloved mentor, Kyrian, had died.

- Y -

_Big drops of rain splattered onto Link's head in a raging downpour. He was standing before a great stone wall nearly ten times his size. Set in the wall was a gigantic wooden door, closed behind a furious river and flanked by twin torches, burning majestically despite the rain._

_Suddenly, there was a creak and the door fell out of control, smashing into the river and splintering into a dozen huge pieces. Link was barely able to move out of the way as, a moment later, a white horse leapt from within the wall, over the broken wood. His quick eyes followed the riders and locked with a girl whose face was filled with fear._

_Hastily, the horse galloped out of sight and Link turned around to find himself face to face with a man on a black stallion. The boy immediately recognized him as the Gerudo he'd seen in the forest that morning. _

_Seeing Link, the Gerudo raised his palm, an orb of light beginning to grow within. Link's eyes widened and he was frozen in place as the orb rocketed from the Gerudo's hand, straight to the boy . . ._

"Yaaaahhhh!" Link screamed and jolted up in bed. It took him nearly a full minute to realize that it had been only a nightmare.

Link rested his head in his hands. His body was drenched in sweat and shaking almost cataclysmically. Many nights now he had been having this dream, each time clearer than the last. This time, the events moved in one liquid motion, unlike the usually flashes from scene to scene.

It had been so clear and so real. Link had felt the rain on his head, heard the crash of the huge wooden door, and seen the whites of the girl's eyes as she leapt the river.

Link gulped down water from a cup at his bedside. He sat on the bed, legs dangling off the edge, afraid to go to sleep. In sleep, the nightmare would return, bringing the terrifying Gerudo, who turned out to be real.

For the next few hours, Link hardly dared close his eyes, much less blink. Despite his resolve to stay awake, exhaustion claimed the boy and settled him into a peaceful sleep, so deep, there was no way for the nightmare to play in his mind. However, there was always another dark, lonely night tomorrow.

- Y -


	4. Chapter Three: The Prophecy Comes Into P...

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

- Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Three: The Prophecy Comes Into Play**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

- Y -

"Navi . . ."

The strong summon rippled though the forest like a gust of wind.

"Navi, where art thou?"

The deep voice called again. Day had dawned in the Kokiri Forest, bringing life there into motion. The sky was clear and bright; birds were singing and woodland creatures scurried about joyfully. Yet, there was an unrest that only the keen forest spirits could sense, and it troubled them deeply.

"Come hither . . ."

A small orb of glowing blue light with a set of fine, glossy wings flew swiftly from the forest into the clearing of the Great Deku Tree. The fairy could hardly believe the magnificent tree had summoned her.

Delicately, she alit on one of the massive branches sprouting from even larger limbs. The fairy's pale glow melted away to reveal a small, elegant woman. She had beautiful blue hair that rippled down her back in waves like a forest stream. Her eyes sparkled like droplets of rain and her skin was pale as moonlight. The fairy's light, gauzy dress fluttered in the slight breeze.

Her tall, lean form bent down on one knee. "Yes, lord?" Her voice was clear and smooth.

"Ah, Navi the Water fairy." The tree acknowledged her wisely.

"Is there something you wish of me?" the fairy asked courtly, speaking in the respectful voice owed to her guardian.

"Listen to my words," the tree rumbled. "The words of the Deku Tree." The forest clearing was quiet and still. Navi dared not move. "Dost thou sense it?"

"Sense what, lord?" Navi asked in genuine confusion.

"The climate of evil descending upon this realm . . ." the Deku Tree answered. "Malevolent forces, even now, are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule."

Navi looked up, the realization of what the tree spoke beginning to sink in.

"For so long," her patron continued, "the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world . . ."

"But, lord," Navi interjected unsurely. "Our power dwindles. Only fear has kept the other races from entering."

"A fear that becomes weaker by day," agreed the Great Deku Tree.

"The Hylian woman nine years ago I saw enter," Navi recalled. "Her fear for her child outweighed her fear of the forest."

"Yes," the tree boomed. "And, this past morn, a Gerudo man entered here, a man with no fear."

"I sensed a dark aura around him," said Navi. "I felt a terrible strength . . . unnatural."

The tree was silent for a moment. "I fear _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _is about to begin," it finally stated.

The words sent a cold chill down Navi's spine. _It can't be . . . _she thought wildly to herself. The prophecy told of a great evil, worse than any Hyrule had ever been up against before, falling over the realm and driving it into oppression. The looming prospect of the dark foretelling froze Navi's soul every time she heard mention of it.

"Before that tremendous evil power," the Deku Tree continued, "even my power is as nothing . . ."

"Then . . ." Navi deduced fearfully. "We are lost?"

"Not entirely," her lord assured her. "The Hylians posses a sacred relic imbued with the power of the Goddesses of Creation. That could destroy the evil."

"A sacred Hylian relic?" Navi repeated.

"Yes." The Great Deku Tree creaked with a heavy, tired sigh, born by the burden it, like every significant ruler, was forced to bear. "It seems the time hath come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey . . ."

"The boy . . . ?" Navi asked, mostly to herself.

"The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth . . ." the Deku Tree reiterated.

"The boy . . ." Navi said again, lost in her own thought. She uttered the words softly, feeling their fleeting impression on her heart like an old ache. Only she knew the truth to this feeling, and would never speak it to anyone.

"Navi . . ." the tree boomed. Navi jumped, suddenly remembering herself. "Go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me . . ."

A cracking to their left drew their attention. Navi looked in time to see one of the tree's immense limbs splinter and crash to the ground. It landed amidst a pile of dead branches and crinkling leaves that had accumulated only that day.

"I hath not much time left . . ." The vast tree let out a groan of pain. "Fly, Navi, fly!" the tree suddenly cried urgently.

Navi leapt into the air, her body immediately shroud in the glow of blue light. She sped out of the clearing without second impelling.

"The fate of the forest . . . nay . . . the world, depends upon thee!" the Great Deku Tree shouted after.

An instant later, the fairy disappeared into the forest.

- Y -

Though the sun was up and the meadow where the Kokiri children lived was bustling with activity, the tree house Navi entered was dark. Silently, the fairy fluttered over to the outline of a bed she could barely make out. Its occupant was sound asleep.

"Hello?" she called loudly.

The boy in the bed groaned and rolled away from her.

"Hello?" Her tone was more insistent.

No response.

Navi was beginning to get frustrated; she hated being ignored. "The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!" She hoped the statement might jog some interest in the sleeper.

It didn't.

"Get up!" Navi snapped, flying up and down near the boy's face.

The boy covered his head with his pillow. "Go 'way," was the sleepy, muffled reply.

Navi landed on the pillow. "Come _on_!"

"Lemme alone . . ."

Navi groaned. "Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?" she muttered to herself. "_Get up!"_

The boy let out a loud sigh and yanked the pillow off his head.

"Hey!" Navi leapt into the air as the surface she had been standing on was jarred roughly from under her feet. As she hovered, fuming with anger, before his face, the boy got his first good look at the creature that had forced him from a much-needed dreamless sleep.

"A f-fairy . . ." he whispered in awe.

"About time you woke up," Navi said, hands on her hips. "I'm Navi, fairy of Water."

The boy sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving her. Navi fidgeted self-consciously. "What?"

"Huh?" The boy whipped his head around furiously, clearing his thoughts. Navi arched an eyebrow. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just . . . I never thought I'd meet a fairy . . . not like this."

Navi felt a stab of guilt, thinking of how he must have felt. She knew very well what it was like to be the odd one out in such a close-knit society. "The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on."

The boy gaped at her. "Really? _I _have a fairy partner?"

Navi nodded. "Say, what's your name?"

"Link," the boy answered. "I'm Link."

"Nice to meet you, Link," Navi said with a courteous bow.

Link leaned back on his palms. "Wow . . ." he said to himself. "A fairy . . ."

Navi fidgeted uncomfortably. _Are all Kokiri like this when they first meet their partners? _she mused as she thought of the Deku Tree's words. "Link, I was sent to you now because the Great Deku Tree has summoned you."

"Me?" Link repeated.

"Yeah." Navi beat her translucent wings anxiously. "Let's get going!"

"Right." Link pulled on his boots and hurried outside, dropping down his ladder at an amazing speed. The moment he turned around, he found himself face to face with Saria, who was about to climb _up _the ladder. The Speaker looked as surprised to see Link as he was to see her.

"Uh . . . hi Link." Saria blinked at him as she backed away, giving the boy room. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? I've never seen you come down that ladder so fast."

"The Great Deku Tree summoned me," Link answered proudly. "_And _he sent me a fairy partner!"

"A fairy?"

"Hey Link!" came an indignant voice from atop the balcony. Navi fluttered down to his shoulder. "You left so fast I couldn't keep up."

Saria gaped at Link. "A fairy finally came to you?"

Link beamed. Saria's fairy shifted restlessly on the girl's shoulder.

"Saria, this is Navi the Water fairy; Navi, this is Saria, Speaker of the Kokiri," Link introduced the two.

"Link-" Navi began.

"Sorry, Saria," Link said, heeding the fairy's reminder, "but I have to go. Navi said my summon was urgent."

"Okay." Saria nodded and smiled. "Come find me when you're done."

Link returned the smile and hurried off.

"Mi, stop fidgeting," Saria complained to her fairy at last. "Is something wrong?"

"That was Navi . . ." Mi whispered. "I can barely believe it . . ."

"Huh?"

"Navi's the only fairy that didn't want a Kokiri partner." The pair watched the blue fairy fluttering around Link's head as he walked. "She said she didn't want to be tied down like the rest of us."

"What changed?"

"I don't know . . ." Mi sounded distant.

- Y -

"So, why does the Great Deku Tree want to see _me_?" Link asked as he walked east, toward the large clearing in which the forest patron grew.

Navi looked uncomfortable. She was unsure what she was supposed to tell Link and what only she was supposed to know. "I'll . . . let the Great Deku Tree explain," she answered evasively.

"Is something bad happening?" Link asked.

Navi turned and looked on her partner with new light. "What makes you say that?"

"A lot of weird stuff's been happening in the forest lately," Link answered, jumping deftly across a small stream. "Like that Gerudo yesterday morning."

"How did-"

"Hey you!"

Navi's question was cut off rudely by a small, but loud, Kokiri just in front of them. Link groaned as the other boy walked up. It was Mido, self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri. Arrogant, self-centered, and egotistical were all four and a half feet of him. Mido was the perfect example of what a lifetime in an eleven-year-old mentality could do to a Kokiri.

"'Mr. No Fairy'!" he taunted as he stalked over to Link. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To speak to the Great Deku Tree," Link answered.

Mido stuck out his chin. "What's your business with the Great Deku Tree?" he asked obnoxiously. The leader closed his eyes and stuck his nose in the air. "Without a fairy, you aren't even a real man!"

"Stupid twit," Navi muttered before raising her voice. "He's got a fairy!"

Mido opened one hazel eye. His fairy, an elegant pink Wind fairy, snickered from her place on his cap.

"Just who I'd expect with this fairyless trash; poor pathetic Navi," the fairy, Laralene, said haughtily. "'I'm too good for a Kokiri'. Isn't that what you said the other day?"

Navi clenched her fists, her calm blue glow becoming an angry red. "I never said that," she retorted through a tight jaw. Link had seen Mi do such once when she lost her temper with Saria. Unfortunately, he also remembered the unpleasant effects. Link put a calming hand on his shoulder where she rested.

"How ironic that the disgrace of the fairies and the disgrace of the Kokiri should be partners?" Mido sneered.

"Oh, shut _up,_" Link said. "I don't have time for this."

Mido didn't budge. "I don't believe the Great Deku Tree actually summoned you. Why would he want a low-life like you and not the great Mido?"

Link felt himself beginning to lose his temper, but tried his best to stay cool. Mido only picked on him because Saria liked Link better. The whole forest knew Mido had had an incurable crush on the Speaker for ages. Apparently, he thought if he bullied Link enough, he would step aside and give Mido claim to Saria's heart.

"This isn't funny . . ." Mido crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"It's not a joke, Mido," Link said. "I'm serious."

"I don't believe it!"

"So?"

"So, I won't let you by!"

"That isn't fair!"

"It is too!"

Link's body had gone rigid with anger, Navi had turned the color of a cherry, and Laralene's face seemed frozen in a smug smile.

"Besides," Mido added hotly. "You aren't even fully equipped yet."

"What?"

"How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree if you don't have a shield and sword ready?"

"What are _those_?" Link was thoroughly confused. "And what would I need them for anyway?"

Mido wracked his mind quickly for some conceivable reason. "Defend it," the little bully blurted out. "Yeah, to defend the Great Deku Tree. I guess I might have to go instead of you."

"Wait a second . . ." Link started. "You don't have any 'sword' and 'shield'." While he had no idea _what _Mido was describing, Link knew the leader wasn't carrying anything he hadn't heard of.

Mido shifted uneasily. "Well . . . mine are at home! If you want to see the Great Deku Tree, _you _need to find some."

"Well, _excuse _me!"

"Sheesh!" Mido rolled his eyes as Link stalked off in the direction he had come.

- Y -

In her house, Saria was sitting on the bed, washing her Shine fruits from the previous day. All of the sudden, her door flap was thrown open and a very angry Link stormed in, trailed by the equally annoyed Navi.

"Link?" She got off the bed and walked over to him. "What's happening? I thought you were going to see the Great Deku Tree."

"I was," Link said as he sat down on one of Saria's wooden stools. "Mido stopped me."

"Mido won't let you see the Great Deku Tree?" Saria repeated.

Link nodded.

"Oh, that bum!" Saria sighed. She walked to her cupboards and pulled out a wooden bowl, slamming it on the table. "I don't know why he's so mean to everyone."

"Yeah," Link agreed glumly.

"What'd he say?" Saria asked as she began to pile her Shine fruits into the bowl.

"That I had to have a 'sword' and 'shield' to be of any use to the Great Deku Tree," Link complained. "I don't even know what those are! I bet he just made them up."

"Hmph," Saria snorted. "They're real. A while ago, I would have said what he said was totally untrue, but now . . . well, I guess it isn't really a bad idea."

Her angry look had turned to one of concern.

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

Saria grabbed a fruit out of the bowl and took a bite as she sorted her thoughts, trying to find the best way to put them into words.

"Well, it's the forest," she began, wiping her chin. "Strange things have been happening here lately." She paused. "Like that Gerudo for one, and the things the spirits are whispering about."

"You can talk to the spirits of the forest?" Link looked surprised to learn this about his lifelong friend. "How?"

Saria walked over to her bed. From its fluffy coverlets, she picked up something and brought it back to Link. The item was an ovular instrument shaped something like a sweet potato. It was off-white porcelain with ten small finger holes opening to its hollow interior; eight on top, two on bottom.

"I can use my ocarina," she explained, putting it to her lips and playing the first bars of a lively melody. "When I'm playing in the Sacred Forest Meadow, I can talk to the spirits."

Saria set the ocarina on the table, her grim expression returning. "They're very restless right now. A very powerful prophecy is about to come true . . ." Saria paused again. "But now's not the time for that; you need to find a sword and shield."

She stood again and walked to the tall shelves behind Link, who turned to watch her rummage through their contents. "Where is it?" she muttered to herself repeatedly as she shoved items aside. "I know it's here . . ." Saria pushed herself onto her tiptoes and craned her neck to peer over the top shelf. "Aha!" she announced triumphantly as she reached back and grabbed something.

There were actually three somethings that Saria set on the table; one, a huge, dark brown wooden chip. If Link held his arms in a circle, the chip would have fit perfectly inside. It appeared old and worn, but painted on one side in bright red was a large curving figure, the sign of the Kokiri. Attached to the other side was a long leather loop and another shorter one.

Saria picked it up. "This is a shield. I made it out of an old bark chip the Great Deku Tree let me have," she explained, turning it over in her hands. "I made it to keep my head from being hit by the big seeds when I'm talking to it. Anyway, see this big loop? Put this over your head . . . good, now grab the small strap with your left hand." Saria stood back. "Here." She handed him a fruit. "Hold this in your right hand."

Feeling very silly, Link did as she asked. Saria examined him for several moments before asking, "So, how does that feel?"

Link was utterly confused. "I don't know. How is it supposed to feel?"

"Hmm . . ." Saria rubbed her chin. "It doesn't look right . . ." She stopped. "Here, give me the fruit."

Link surrendered it.

"Now, let go of the strap and try gripping it in your right,"advised Saria as she helped him change. "There, is that better?"

"Sort of, I guess . . ."

"Well, it's good enough. You can put it down. Just let go of the handle and slide the leather loop until it's on your back . . . yes, like that. Now you'll be able to grab your shield quickly if you ever need it."

"Wow . . ." Link was impressed.

Saria beamed. "Now, I'm going to teach you how to use a sword." She grabbed the sword off the table and drew it from the blue leather sheath. It was a small blade, not much longer than half the length of Link's arm. The hilt was made from hard ebony wood, smoothed and easy to grip. At the center of the hilt was a tiny red gem, set in the wood with a few strips of gold.

Saria set the blade on the table and picked up the sheath, which was tied to a leather belt. "Let me help you put this on." She walked up to him. "It goes on your back and buckles in the front . . . yeah, like that. Great!"

She grabbed the sword again and passed it to Link, who grasped the hilt unsurely in his left hand.

"No, don't hold it like that." Saria grabbed Link's hand and corrected his grip. "That's better. Does it feel better?"

"A bit," Link answered uncertainly.

"Well, it looks right. Okay, so . . ." She picked up a short stick, about as long as his sword. "I'm going to teach you a couple of simple sword moves. For a regular horizontal slash, hold your arm straight out like this . . . good. Now swing your arm side to side . . . no, you're moving your wrist."

Saria stopped and walked behind Link, taking his hand. In one slow motion, she swung his arm, holding it erect. "Feel that? That's what it's supposed to feel like. Never ever swing a sword with your wrist. Trust me on that." Saria giggled. "Okay, well, a vertical strike is the same thing, just up and down. Go ahead; try it . . . now you got it! Great!"

Link beamed.

"The last technique I know is a thrust." She grabbed her stick and held it and her arm straight out in front of her. "All right. Hold your arm out like this . . . that's right. Now, pull your elbow to your side, but keep the rest of your arm straight . . . yeah, like that. This is where you start a thrust. Watch me."

Saria shot out her arm in one swift movement. "See? You try." Link tried and failed. "Not quite. Try to keep your sword pointed at the same spot the whole time. Your thrust shouldn't move . . . better, but try to do it all in one movement . . . remember, _push _out not _swing _out . . . yes, that's it!"

She dropped her stick and enveloped Link in a sisterly hug. "You did great! You're going to be an awesome swordfighter!"

Link blushed. "_You're _the one who'd make a good swordfighter. Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Joseph taught me," Saria admitted, shrugging her shoulders as Link tried to slide his sword into the sheath. "He said he learned it from a Hylian he found in the Lost Woods. The man was half-crazy and thought Joseph was something called a 'squire'. Then he gave Joseph this sword and taught him what I taught you."

"What's a 'squire'?" asked Link.

"I have no idea," Saria said. "I think it's a kind of Hylian." She grabbed Link's left hand and guided it to the sheath.

"Thanks."

"I'm not done yet." Saria walked back to the table and picked up the last item. "This is for you." She held out the object in her hands. It looked like a smaller version of the sword on his back. The little blade had a leather scabbard and belt, which were a deep mahogany color. The minute sword itself was no more than a foot long, nine inches the smooth steel blade. Its elegant gilded hilt was set with emeralds, rubies, and a sapphire at the pommel.

Link picked up the scabbard. "But you just gave me a sword. And besides, this is too small for me."

Saria took the sheath and slid the small blade into it. "This isn't a sword; it's a dagger. Put it on around your waist."

Her suddenly serious tone startled Link and he obeyed without question.

"If you ever lose your sword," she explained, "use this to defend yourself." Saria's eyes filled with tears. "I pray you never have to."

Link could tell by Saria's eyes that this was not a good time to ask questions. Besides which, he remembered his task at hand: answering the Great Deku Tree's summon.

"Thank you, Saria," Link said. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

Saria nodded with a sad smile as he turned, walked out her door, and out of sight. _I'll hold you to that, Link._

Saria's fairy, Mi, rubbed her Kokiri partner's cheek. "I didn't know you still had that dagger," she commented. "I thought we'd lost it years ago."

Saria shook her head. "I promised Coquina I'd give it to him when he was old enough. She would want him to take it now, so he'll be protected."

Mi leapt gracefully into the air. "He'll need it now more than ever." A distant look captured the fairy's face. "_Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _has indeed begun."

- Y -


	5. Chapter Four: Fate's Challenge

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

- Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Four: Fate's Challenge**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

- Y -

Link waked boldly back to the place where Mido sat. "Do you think he's been waiting for us?" Link whispered to Navi as he approached the Kokiri's leader.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Navi replied sourly, settling on Link's shoulder. To the unknowing eye, the fairy appeared calm, but Link knew she was tense, waiting for the chance to attack Mido.

"So, back are you, 'Mr. No Fairy'?" Mido greeted when Link reached him.

Link groaned. Mido knew he had a fairy, but the egocentric little Kokiri continued to taunt him with the same old, inaccurate nickname.

"Will you let me pass now?" Link asked resignedly.

"If you want to see the Great Deku Tree, you need a sword and shield," Mido repeated.

Link sighed. "I _have _a sword and shield."

"Eh?" Mido looked at him. "What's that?"

"I have a sword and shield," Link reiterated.

Mido looked over Link closely. "Oh, good grief." He stood up. "Where did you get all that stuff?"

"I don't think I'm going to tell you." Link folded his arms.

"Really?" Mido said in a bored tone. "Well, even with all that stuff, a wimp is still a wimp."

Link glared at him.

"Since you got what I asked, I'll let you pass," Mido began. "But I, the great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!"

Mido tilted his freckled face to the sky and stalked off haughtily, the air of superiority emanating from him. Link clenched his fists, fuming with anger. He had half a mind to go after the self-centered little cretin, but answering his summon loomed over him like a despairing cloud. _I wonder if all summons feel like this if you don't answer them right away, _Link mused. _Maybe it's one of the Great Deku Tree's special god-powers. _Turning away, he hurried on into the forest.

Mido stopped and looked back when he was sure Link was gone. The leader's fairy, Laralene, was seated in her partner's bright hair, watching Link disappear into the forest.

"Do you ever think about our summon nine years ago?" she asked. Most Kokiri children were summoned once or twice in their lifetimes. Only the Speaker of the Kokiri was summoned often, but usually late at night or other times when no one was about. That way, there was little chance of his or her identity being discovered. No one knew anymore why one should not know whom the Speaker truly was, but they heeded the tradition anyway.

"Always," he replied.

"Remember what the Great Deku Tree said about the Child of Destiny? About helping him along his path?"

"Yes."

Laralene leap into the air and hovered before Mido's sullen face. "And . . . ?"

"He has all the help he needs," Mido said. "Saria, Joseph, Sonya."

"You could help."

Mido snorted. "How?"

"Well, belittling him the way you do is not exactly the best way," she commented lightly as he walked toward his house.

"You know I don't like him."

"Only because he's different."

"Because he doesn't belong here!" Mido shouted. The same moment he said it, the Kokiri realized what he had done and clapped his hands over his mouth. Laralene looked as shocked as he. Mido had _never _yelled at his partner.

"Oh Lara, I'm so sorry," Mido apologized profusely. "I didn't mean to take my anger out on you."

Laralene nodded in solemn comprehension. "I understand."

"But honestly, Lara," Mido said as he entered his home. "You know perfectly well how I feel about him."

"I know."Laralene sighed and alit on Mido's shoulder. "But I hate to think that the passage of Fate might be disturbed by you taunting the Child of Destiny."

Mido grinned mischievously. "Oh, we'd _never _want that, now would we?"

Laralene gave her partner a playful punch in the chin. "I can't have a serious conversation with you, Mido, can I?"

"Of course not," Mido snickered. "What fun would _that _be?"

- Y -

"Great Deku Tree! I have returned!"

Despite her small size, Navi's voice rang clearly and loudly across the clearing. She was kneeling in one of the massive leaves growing from the end of one of the tree's lowest branches. Like before, she had put out her glow and revealed her body.

Link was left to stand like a fool before the immense tree, which was easily ten times, if not more, as wide as his house and who knew how much taller. He felt quite out of place, considering he had no idea what proper etiquette one should show when addressing one's patron guardian. Link probably would have stood there for much longer if he had not heard the loud, deep voice boom across the clearing.

"Oh . . . Navi . . . thou hast returned . . ."

Link jumped and looked around wildly, wondering where the voice had come from.

"Link . . ." it came again. "Welcome . . ."

Link suddenly stopped his restless movement when he realized it was the _tree _addressing him. He was surprised to learn this. He had known the tree could talk, but could not see why he hadn't thought of it before.

"It is good that thou hast come," the Deku Tree continued. "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell thee . . ."

Link nodded solemnly. He was beginning to get the impression that the Deku Tree had summoned him for a reason of much more importance that he had first anticipated.

"Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares. As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it . . . Verily, thou hast felt it . . ."

Link kept silent but inside, he was all questions. How did the Great Deku Tree know about his nightmares? What was this 'vile climate' coming over them? How was it affecting him this way? And why? Why him?

"I can see thou is greatly confused by this," the Great Deku Tree said wisely.

_How . . . ? How did he know? _Link thought wildly. _I'm sure I didn't say anything . . ._

"Link, thou hast not uttered a word of thy troubled thoughts," the tree said patiently. "I can easily sense thy strong emotions."

Link was very surprised, but he tried his best to keep his face blank. The boy did not like the idea of someone sensing his thoughts and emotions, even if that someone was his patron guardian.

"Unfortunately, at this time," the Deku Tree continued, "it is best thee dost not understand. Some questions are best left unanswered, for the time being."

Link, who was on one knee with his head down, looked up.

"The time that has come is the time to test thy courage," creaked his guardian. "I have been cursed; a death curse that eats my life-force . . ."

_What? _The words hit Navi, who had been silent, like a bolt. She had known there was something wrong, but had no idea that the Deku Tree was dying. If she had, she would have brought Link much sooner. "No, lord!" she blurted out without thinking.

Several of the tree's great branches groaned. "I am afraid it is so, Navi. But if thee and Link hath courage and wisdom, thou can break the curse . . ."

Navi leapt into the air and her body was shroud in her usual blue glow as she flew to Link's shoulder.

The boy could hardly believe the great patron guardian of the Kokiri was asking _him _for help. Link, of all people. The one picked on by the other Kokiri, the one always running to Saria in need, and now the one chosen to save the Great Deku Tree.

"Ist thou willing?" the Deku Tree asked again.

"Yes, lord," Link answered. "I am."

"Then enter, brave Link," the tree beckoned. "Fifty paces around the right of my trunk, thou shalt find a loose piece of bark. It wilt lead thee into my heart. I wish upon thee the best of luck."

With that, the clearing was filled with silence. Link looked at Navi, both awed. The fairy, however, was first to recover.

"Come on, Link," she said, flying in the direction the Great Deku Tree had indicated. "Let's go."

Link followed after, climbing lithely over a massive root emerging from the tree and plunging deep into the soft earth. As he leapt down, the boy spotted Navi hovering in the shadow of the root.

Here, the Deku Tree's bark looked gray and unhealthy. Link touched it. The decayed wood caved under his hand, falling to the ground in a rotted heap. In its midst was a good sized hollow, like a cavern tunnel, leading into the trunk of the Great Deku Tree.

Link looked uncertainly up at Navi. She looked back at him. "Well," she said with a shrug. "I guess this is it."

Link nodded, afraid to speak. The open cavern loomed before him, hauntingly out of place amongst the life of the clearing. He'd learned of this 'test of courage' and was consumed by surprise. It wasn't until this moment that he began to realize the awesome danger he might be facing.

However, there was no turning back now. Fate and the will of the Forest Spirits would decide whether he'd prevail this day or not. Filled with the fear and reluctance that were settling in, Link stepped from the only world he knew into a place he hoped he'd never see again.

Inside the cavern was not much darker than outside. The sun's light penetrated for a few more feet. As he walked into the tree, Link felt the air growing cold and dry, which was exactly opposite what he'd expected. Shouldn't the air have been moist with water and nutrients to help the tree grow? Link posed this question to Navi.

"Normally, you'd be right," the fairy answered. "But the Great Deku Tree is cursed. We shouldn't expect anything normal to be present."

Link didn't find the thought reassuring in the least, but he kept silent, running his hand absently along the wall. He stopped short.

Navi instantly noticed his absence. "Link?"

"Come here. I need your light."

Navi flew over. Link was facing the wall, an intent look on his face. "What is it?"

"I don't know." Link ran his hand lightly over the wall again. "It feels rough . . . like something was . . ." he strained to describe his thoughts. ". . . eating the wood . . ."

"Eating the wood?" Navi repeated in wonder. She hovered closer, her soft glow illuminating Link's hand and the wall in an eerie blue light. It _did _look like bite marks, coarse and rigid, running along the wall.

"What do you think it is?" Link asked, clearly expecting a good answer from her seemingly endless source of wisdom.

Navi, however, was not able to give one. "Giant termites?"

Link gave her a look.

"Well, I don't know," Navi said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I thought fairies were blessed with infinite wisdom." His voice was sincere.

"No," she answered. "We learn things from other fairies. We _do _posses perfect memories."

"I guess that's good to know." Link stepped back from the wall. "Let's keep going."

Navi nodded and flew ahead. The tunnel gradually became larger, finally opening up into a very large cavern. At least, she thought it was a cavern. Her tiny glow was swallowed up by the darkness after only a short distance. A strange scratching sound reverberated off the walls, wherever they were. The noise was almost the sound a branch made when it broke from a tree.

Link looked around slowly, hearing it. "What is it?" he asked automatically.

"Good question. I have no idea-"

Link gave a sigh.

"-but it sounds like spiders."

Navi flew up toward the source of the sound, some feet above Link's head. His ocean blue eyes followed her movement. Not far up, Navi's light fell across a terrible spider-like creature which, when lying with its legs out, would have been as large as Link's shield. Oddly, the spider's torso was covered by a skull, all pale, hard, and creepy. It reminded Link of the shell on a turtle.

"I've seen these creatures before," Navi said suddenly. "Once in a while, a few will be found devouring a tree."

"What _is _it?" Link asked again.

"It's called Skulltula," Navi answered. "They're not exactly the nicest creatures you'd want to meet."

"I figured that," Link commented. "Can they do much harm to the Great Deku Tree?"

"I'm afraid so," the fairy admitted, floating down to Link's shoulder. "It's only a matter of time before they completely destroy the Great Deku Tree."

Link ran his hand along the rough wood.

"But I don't think it's only Skulltulas doing this," added Navi. "They couldn't have done this much damage so quickly. The Great Deku Tree wouldn't have waited long enough for them to do so before calling for help."

Link looked up at where the Skulltula was chomping away at the Deku Tree's vulnerable wood. "How do we get rid of them?"

"Throw a rock at it," Navi suggested. "I'll light it up for you." She flew off.

Link dropped to his knees and ran his hands over the ground, feeling for some kind of stone. However, all he could find were a few chips of wood. Link scooped them up. Taking careful aim at the lit Skulltula, Link tossed the chip with all his strength. It hit the white skull shell with a soft tink. The Skulltula didn't seem to notice.

"Try to throw it in one of those eye sockets," Navi offered.

Link aimed and threw again. This time, the chip struck the inside of the eye socket, emitting a sickening squelch. A split moment later, the Skulltula let out a high-pitched scream and fell to the ground. It hit on its back, the eight legs writhing in pain, wracking the air for something solid.

Link bent down to examine the Skulltula. A pool of sticky green goo was collecting beneath it. Link fought the urge to retch. He'd seen things die before, but the Skulltula looked just as out of place in the Deku Tree in death as it had in life.

"Link, let's go," Navi called from farther on in the cavern. Link hurried to catch up with her.

- Y -


	6. Chapter Five: Out of Place

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Five: Out of Place**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

When he reached the fairy, Link found her hovered inches above a piece of bark in the shape of a tuning fork.

"Do you have a slingshot?" she asked, looking up.

"Slingshot?"

"Yeah. You use it to help launch things like stones further distances than you can throw," Navi explained.

"I know what a slingshot is," Link retorted. "Not that I _have _one."

"Well, take this stick."

Link bent down and grabbed it.

"If you smooth it out and we find an Ariku weed, you'd get a good slingshot out of it," said Navi.

Link pulled his dagger from its sheath and began to hack away at the rough bulges of wood. "What's an Ariku weed?" he asked as they walked on.

"A big clump of leaves and stickers," Navi informed him. "The leaves are extremely elastic and would be perfect for your slingshot, but the thorns are coated in some kind of sticky goo. It's hard to get them off something they've touched."

"Great," Link said unenthusiastically. "Are there any growing in here?"

"There shouldn't be," Navi replied. "This is a tree, remember? _We _shouldn't even be here."

She had a good point. The pair walked on in silence, always keeping the wall of the Great Deku Tree on their lefts. Link paid little attention to what was around him. Most of his concentration was focused on making the base of the slingshot as smooth as possible.

After a while, they stopped at a familiar puddle of green goo. Navi looked at it and groaned. "We just walked in a big circle!"

Link leaned against the wall, letting his tired legs collapse beneath him, and slid to the ground. "A _really _big circle," he muttered to himself. "What do we do now?"

Navi didn't answer. Instead, she fluttered almost cautiously toward the center of the room. Link watched her gentle glow bobbing up and down, as if she were examining something of interest. Then she stilled.

"Link," she called. "I found an Ariku weed!"

Link stood and walked toward the glow, where he found Navi hovering just inches above a small clump of weeds.

"Do you have the base of that slingshot finished?"

"Yeah." Link held it up.

"Good. Now, cut one of those leaves off-"

Link drew his dagger and grabbed one of the leaves.

"-Just be careful how you go about it."

"Why?" Link asked as he sliced at the plant. As soon as the blade touched the leaf, Link felt it deflect his strike, throwing his arm back.

Navi sighed. "I tried to warn you. Ariku plants can't just be hacked off. You have to slowly saw through them."

"This would have been useful _before _I started," Link said pointedly as he grabbed the weed with one hand and began to saw. His wrist shook with every stroke of the dagger, the elasticity of the weed causing it to bounce, try as he might to control it. Finally, when he was almost through, Link sheathed the dagger and grasped the Ariku leaf with both hands. Summoning all his strength, Link pulled up as hard and fast as he could. Unfortunately, the leaf came away from the plant a lot easier than he had expected. The momentum of his jerk caused the boy to stumble back.

"Link, watch out!" Navi shouted.

It made no difference. Link fell back, landing not on the hard wood of the tree but something as elastic as the Ariku weed that bounced when he hit. Navi flew over to her partner, illuminating the surface he had landed on.

"A spider's web?"

Link reached out and touched the surface. Instantly, his hand stuck. Link tugged at it, but the sticky substance held fast. "What the . . .?"

He tried to move his legs, getting the same result. The web stretched as far as he could lift his leg then, when he could not hold it any longer, snapped it back into place.

"Well, that was good," Navi said sarcastically from above, examining his predicament.

Link ignored the comment as he stowed the unstuck Ariku leaf in a pouch on his belt. With his free hand, Link drew his dagger.

"What are you going to do with that?" Navi asked.

Link thrust the blade into the web near where his right hand was caught. "Cut myself out," he answered off-handedly as he pulled the dagger up and down, slowly cutting the sticky goo. The web did not rebound when something struck it, the way the Ariku plant had, but it wasn't much easier to cut. It felt rather awkward trying to cut something so thick with only one hand.

After much work, Link was able to pull his hand free. Unfortunately, it was covered in webbing, which would glue his hand together the instant he made a fist. Carefully as possible, Link used the tip of the dagger to slice away as much of the goo as possible.

"Gross," Navi commented as he flung the gunk away in her direction. The fairy dodged resentfully.

Cutting around his legs was far easier now that Link could work the dagger with two hands, though the going was still slow. Every so often, the blade would be stuck and he would have to stop to clean the compiled webbing.

As he worked, Navi examined the spider web. It had been spun to cover a great hole in the ground that stretched straight down quite far. Though her light did not reach far enough down the shaft for her to guess how deep it was, the fairy determined that crosswise, the hole was at least eight feet. Link was stuck in the very center, cutting away the sticky strands without another thought.

That was when Navi noticed that the web had begun to sag downward. "Uh . . . Link?" she began. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why?" Link answered, not breaking his rhythm.

"Your right over—Link!"

Just as she began to explain, the strands of webbing to the edge of the hole straight ahead snapped. Immediately after, the two on either side snapped, the rest going in chain right after. In only a few seconds, Link was falling through the air down into the dark pit.

"Navi!" was all he had time to scream before he was out of sight. It took only a split second for the fairy to realize what had happened before she darted down after Link. A moment later, she heard a loud splash and emerged in a medium sized cavern. She stopped just above a small pool of water. Link was nowhere to be seen.

"Link?"she called.

There was no sound. Navi hovered an inch above the water's smooth surface, the fluttering of her wings creating tiny ripples along it. Everything was calm and impossibly still until a tiny bubble burst beneath the fairy. Then, three more appeared and popped simultaneously. Navi dipped in closer for a better look. The bubbles were coming faster now; there was no pause between them. Then, from the murky depths, she saw something large coming at her very fast. The fairy had no time to respond as Link suddenly burst thought the water, gasping for air.

"Link!" she cried, leaping out of the way as he swam ashore. "Are you all right?"

Link looked up at the blue glow dancing frantically around his head. He started to speak, but all that came out was water. Coughing, he tried again. "Calm down, Navi . . . I'm alive."

"Are you sure? I mean, are you sure you're all right?" Her voice was filled with concern. "That was a really long drop."

Link scowled, looking up at the pit. "Yeah, I know."

He stood, wringing the water from his hat, and gazed around. The chamber was warm and moist, looking very much alive. By only Navi's light, he could see all the walls of the cave, including the opening to his left. Putting on his cap, Link started in that direction. The small corridor it led him into was so dark he could not see more than an inch away, even with Navi. He held out his hands and walked slowly. Every few steps he stumbled and fell, scraping his hands on the rough, gnawed ground.

"We must be nearly to the heart of the Great Deku Tree by now," Navi stated. "It feels alive."

"Do we even know what we're looking for?" Link asked.

"A . . . curse," Navi answered unsurely.

"A curse. Great. What does a curse look like?"

Navi shrugged. "I don't know . . . but I think we're about to find out."

As she spoke, the corridor emerged to an immense cave, larger than any of those prior. There were a few tall pillars standing. Apparently, the thing eating the inside of the tree realized that a room this large would fall in on itself without support. Navi shuddered. That implied that whatever they were fighting was intelligent. Link took a step out, resting his hand on the wall. As soon as he did, he jumped and pulled it away.

"What?" Navi darted to the place he had touched.

"It's alive!" Link exclaimed. In Navi's light he saw several small green vines, a few triangular leaves protruding, illuminated it an eerie aquamarine.

"How . . . ?" Navi reached out and stroked one. "How can they be alive down here . . . ? There's no light . . ."

Link shook his head. "I don't know." He looked around warily. "There's something not right about this . . ." He reached back and drew his sword. Then, he felt the ground shake under his feet. Link jumped and whirled around, facing the center of the cavern. "Did you feel that?" he asked.

"What?"

"The ground shook."

"Link, I'm a _fairy, _remember? I can't feel the ground!"

Link did not say anything. Although there was no light aside from Navi, he could make out the whole room. A strange, pale glow emanated from the opposite side.

"There's light over there." Navi fluttered away from the vines. Link pulled on his shield. The ground shook again. "Something's coming," the fairy whispered, but Link already knew.

He tightened his grip on the sword as he spotted movement to the far left.

Y -


	7. Chapter Six: Curses

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Six: Curses**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

A long spider's leg emerged from a cavernous opening at the other end of the room. Link's heart skipped a beat as another rumble shook the ground, bringing the source into view. The boy heard Navi muffle a gasp as she saw it and could barely resist to scream at the sight of the hideous creature.

It was somewhat reminiscent of a spider, but blown ghastly out of proportion like a science experiment gone awry. Easily four times Link's size, the monster's flesh was covered with a hard, mottled gray exoskeleton, which fit it like armored plates. Unlike spiders, which had many eyes, this creature had one eye—a large, circular, sickening green thing that seemed to roll around on its own accord. Out in front of the grotesque body, the creature waved its two massive pinchers wildly as a terrible sound, something between a growl and a scream, escaped it.

Link began to back away slowly, hoping the thing hadn't spotted him yet. It didn't appear so. "Navi . . ." he whispered as his back hit the wall. "What is _that_?"

"I think . . . I think it's a Gohma," she replied slowly.

"What's a Gohma?" Link's eyes never left the creature. It made its way torpidly into the center of the room.

"There used to be quite a few around the forest," Navi explained. "Gohma are like giant termites in a spider's body; they literally eat wood and, because they're so big, they eat a lot."

The Gohma turned in Link's direction. He felt his heart quicken as the rolling eye looked him over.

"Fortunately, they died out a long time ago," she continued quietly, her eyes narrowing. "You see, the trees developed a special venom in their sap, which was only harmful to the Gohma. The Gohma ate the toxic trees and died. There haven't been any in the forest for over two hundred years."

The dank heart of the Great Deku Tree was very cold, even though it was the beginning of a warm summer outside. From a culmination of the cold, his wet clothes, and the fear blossoming in the pit of his stomach, Link began to shiver. "Is there any other way to kill them other than this poison?"

"Not that I know of," Navi replied. "But the Great Deku Tree should have this special sap. It's not like the trees ever stopped making it. Logically speaking, once the Gohma started eating the Great Deku Tree's wood, it would have ingested the sap and died."

The Gohma stretched its massive pinchers into the air and gave another horrific scream.

Link looked up at her. "Then why is it still alive?"

"I don't know! Maybe it developed a tolerance for the poison!" the fairy shouted.

Instantly, the room went silent. Link winced and glared at Navi, who covered her mouth, realizing the dire mistake she had made. The Gohma froze, dropped to the ground, and looked back to Link, its eye locking onto his every move.

"Navi . . ." he began as he took a step to the right, the Gohma following his move.

"I see it."

"Any bright ideas?"

Navi shook her head, he glossy wings beating as fast as her heart. "Not at all."

In the center of the room, the Gohma let out a terrible scream.

"I've got one," said Link as his pace quickened.

"What?"

The Gohma charged.

"Run!"

With the yell, the boy turned and ran as fast as he could away from the monster, Navi following a split second later. Risking a look back, Link realized that the Gohma was a lot faster than he'd expected. It was gaining on him, so fast that he barely managed to leap out of the way. As he fell into a somersault, Link heard the Gohma hit the wall with a loud thud. The noise reverberated off every solid surface in the room, magnifying it tenfold. The moment he came to a stop, Link leapt up and whirled around, sword and shield still tight in his grasp. At the same time, the Gohma backed away from the wall and turned to Link. They faced each other for a moment, breathing heavily, before the Gohma charged again.

The chase was off once more, Link darting deftly from left to right, trying to shake the Gohma off or confuse it, whichever happened first, and the Gohma howling and raging after. Navi beat her wings furiously to keep up as her partner veered sharply into the center of the room. This caused the Gohma to lose sight of him for a moment. Link took full advantage of its distraction and ducked into a heap of vines.

He crouched silently in the thick green foliage, breath coming in shallow, quiet breaths. The room fell silent and the monster stalked into view. Link could see it, fuming mad that it's prey had escaped. The Gohma's rolling eye scanned the room slowly, hoping to pick out Link from his hiding spot. Luckily, the boy's green tunic blended perfectly with the plant life around him.

"Got any ideas yet?" he asked in the smallest whisper as the Gohma passed.

"Not yet," Navi replied. "But it has to have a weakness. You just need to find it."

"How do you expect me to do that?" Link hissed angrily. "Hit it with rocks?"

Navi put her hands on her hips. "If it works," she retorted sourly. "Do _something_!"

"Easy for you to say," Link muttered as he put down his sword and pulled the shield off his arm, feeling around the ground for something to throw. "You're not the one fighting this thing!"

Suddenly, the thundering of the Gohma's footsteps stopped. Link froze, one hand supporting him, the other out in front grabbing at nothing, his sword and shield in a pile next to him. The creature's rolling eye scanned the room and Link could almost feel it find him as he held his breath.

For a moment, nothing happened. The room was completely silent, save for the heavy rasping of the Gohma's breathing. Then, it took a step, jolting the ground and causing Link to yelp. Through an open place between the vines, he saw the monster's eye lock onto him. Link, struggling to equip his weapons again, watched in awe as the Gohma gave a terrifying cry, waving its clawed forelegs about angrily. Then, it leapt at him.

Link didn't even have a chance to move before one of the Gohma's massive talons slashed across his back. He screamed and tried to roll out of the way, but another swipe of a claw made him stop. The Gohma screeched and lurched forward, slamming its talons into his back and pinning him to the ground.

"Link!"

Navi, who was hiding in a thick cluster of leaves and vines, saw him fall and felt something inside her spark into life. Silently, she cursed herself for acting so cowardly, making her partner do all the work in this battle. In vengeful reproach, the fairy leapt into the air and flew straight at the Gohma's eye. The monster became annoyed with Navi almost immediately. It retracted its claws from Link's back and lurched up until it was level with the fairy's darting form. The Gohma swiped at her with one of its massive clawed forelegs, which Navi dodged easily.

"Link, get up!" she shouted again, desperately.

Link didn't move. He was sprawled out on his stomach, breathing slowly. The little wooden shield was still on his arm, but he'd dropped the sword as he scrambled to get away. The Gohma must have knocked it away, for it was nowhere to be seen.

"Link!" Navi darted away from another blow. _Come on, Link! Please don't be dead . . . _

Then, with the last call, Link stirred. Groaning, he sat up slowly and opened his eyes, supporting his form on wobbling arms. Only a few feet before him was the immense Gohma, swinging blindly at a pale blue fairy. She seemed to be doing well in irritating the creature until she caught sight of Link. This momentary pause by Navi gave the Gohma the edge it needed, reaching up and whacking the fairy out of its face. Navi let out a tiny cry of pain as she tumbled away.

_Navi! _Suddenly, a strange desire came over the boy. Fire filled his veins, boiling the blood at the sight of his partner struck down and Link's only thought became the need to repay the monster for what it had done. This unfamiliar feeling, though Link could not place the name, was something he had never experienced before. Common sense and rational thought fled his mind as he stood and shouted at the monster, "Hey Ugly! Over here!"

The rolling eye whirled around and locked onto Link. The monster gave a horrific roar and charged. At the same time, Link bent down and pulled something from under the vines, something he had noticed just before the Gohma struck him. It was a big nut, covered with a hard, rough shell, which looked like it could have a positive affect on the Gohma if hit. With the nut tight in his grasp, Link straightened and threw it as hard as he could at the Gohma's head. Unfortunately, the boy did not have very good aim, nor much strength, and the air bound projectile landed with a loud crack on the ground at the monster's feet.

_Uh oh . . . _But, just as this thought passed through Link's mind and the nut struck, the shell shattered, emitting a blinding flash. Link closed his eyes and raised his shield. His arm hadn't even stopped moving before the light vanished, not even a split-second after it'd erupted from the nut.

Cautiously, Link lowered his shield, the feeling of rage draining like water from his body until all he felt was exhaustion, and looked up. Towering over the boy was hideous monster, Gohma. Link gasped and leapt back a step on impulse, but the Gohma didn't do anything. It didn't seem aware of Link anymore. In fact, Link noticed as he examined the monster, it didn't seem aware of anything. Its great rolling eye had stopped moving and was glazed and unfocused, staring at nothing. The monster's legs were wobbling and it swayed uneasily.

Link took a step forward, his left hand hovering near his dagger, examining the Gohma uncertainly. It was hard to tell whether or not it was dead. He reached out a shaking hand toward the creature when suddenly, Navi's frantic voice came out of nowhere. "Link! Kill it before it recovers!"

Link's eyes lit up and he was filled with relief as he heard his partner's voice. "Navi!" Link called to his partner, but it was drowned out by a great cry from the Gohma, who seemed to be very much alive and coming out of its shock quickly.

It wasn't that he consciously knew what to do in this situation, but Link automatically drew his dagger the same moment the giant eye began to spin and refocus. The gilded steel in his hand no longer felt awkward, but natural, as if he'd been born to fight like this. As the monster leaned in to snap at him, Link, with expert timing, whipped the blade around and plunged it into the Gohma's eye.

The minute the tip pierced the eye's gooey membrane, everything froze. Link, with his hand gripped tightly around the hilt, splattered with thick green eye gook; Navi, fluttering a little way to the left; and the Gohma, staring down at the boy through a mass of blood and pulp. For a single moment, everything was perfectly still.

Then, the Gohma's legs collapsed beneath it and the body tumbled to the ground. No longer was it the unbeatable physical representation of the enigma of the Great Deku Tree's curse, but a dead creature, no more mysterious than the body of a mouse being preyed on by an owl. Link slowly pulled his dagger from the eye, staring at the mess of battered limbs with mixed feelings.

He felt triumphant that he had beaten this monster, but also sad. Only a lifetime living in such close proximity with a forest could teach a person to love all life, from the most insignificant to the most majestic, from the most harmless to the most deadly. Confronted with this myriad of emotions and the utter exhaustion he felt from traipsing around inside the Great Deku Tree, Link collapsed onto the ground.

"Link!" Navi saw him fall and whisked over to her partner. The bright smile that had consumed her face as Link struck down the Gohma quickly faded from existence. The tiny fairy hovered a few inches in front of his face, countenance becoming worry. "Link?"

The familiar voice brought Link into wakefulness. The boy's eyes fluttered open, slowly focusing on the pale blue light. "Navi . . .?"

Navi let free her pent up breath. "Thank the spirits you're all right."

Somehow, Link managed to force himself into a sitting position. He put a hand on his forehead and groaned. "Are you all right?"

Navi nodded, her relief becoming somber again. "I'm fine, but I found something I think you should check out." She looked him over. "Can you stand?"

Slowly, Link pushed himself up, standing unsurely before her. "What did you find?"

"When the Gohma hit me, I fell into a pile of some funny-looking round things." Navi led him to where she had fallen. The boy followed torpidly, his pace inhibited by the pain racing through his gored back. Fortunately, they reached the objects soon.

It looked like they had stumbled upon a nest, one as out of normal proportion as the Gohma had been. The nest was made from thousands of wood chips, lengths of crinkling vines holding them into place. Inside the nest were at least a dozen huge, round objects, which Link realized were eggs. Each egg was twice the size of the boy's head. They were a mottled white color, speckled with red and green spots that looked like paint splatters. All the eggs were covered with a clear film that reeked like nothing either fairy or boy had ever smelled before.

Link plugged his nose and Navi covered her mouth to keep from retching. "These better not be what I think they are . . ." Link began warningly.

"They are," Navi assured him. "They're Gohma eggs."

Link groaned. "No . . . you have _got _to be kidding."

"Afraid not." Navi alit on his shoulder. "All of these are going to hatch into little Gohmas soon. Probably in another day or two."

"There're at least twenty eggs in here!" Link exclaimed, hands on the rim of the nest, looking down into it. "There're gonna be twenty more Gohma soon?"

"My point exactly," Navi agreed. "We need to get rid of the eggs right now, before they hatch." She gave Link a skeptical look. "Do you think you can climb down there and cut open all the eggs?"

"Cut them open?" Link repeated. "How can you be sure that will kill them? Maybe they're ready to hatch now and cutting open the eggs would just help."

Navi sighed. "If they're alive when you open the eggs, then kill them! They'll barely be any problem. Infant Gohma are practically defenseless for about a week after hatching. They'll be very vulnerable to your dagger."

Link glared at Navi, then looked down at the eggs. "Fine, I'll do it," he said. The boy sheathed his dagger and slowly climbed into the nest. Standing next to the eggs, Link found them to be almost as tall as his waist. With a last, uneasy look at Navi, Link drew his dagger and plunged it into the egg. There was a sickening squelch and the egg sprayed forth a nasty gust of air from inside. Link gagged and backed away, gasping for fresh air, which was not to be had in the musty nest. With a few breaths, Link recovered and went back to the egg. He grabbed the hilt of the dagger and slowly cut open the thick shell.

An impossible amount of green goo poured out through the egg and onto Link as the shell fell away, exposing the nearly formed embryo within. The creature was about as big as a beach ball, but looked like a perfect miniature of the monster Link had slewn just minutes ago. Fortunately, the little creature didn't seem to be alive, but Link, fearing what he knew it would become, drove his dagger into its skull for good measure.

This process continued for quite a while as Link moved slowly from egg to egg, cutting them open and stabbing the unborn Gohma larvae within. By now his mind was numb to the killing. At first, he had been able to feel it haunting him, as it had right after he slew the giant Gohma, but now he ignored it, justifying his actions with the memory of the first.

Finally, Link climbed out of the nest and back to where Navi waited. Every egg had been opened, every Gohma child stabbed, and there was no longer the prospect of the race ever returning to plague the forest. "Let's get out of here," he said quietly, starting back the way he'd entered the room.

The only thing on the boy's mind was sleeping as long as possible. He didn't want to think about the Gohma, the Great Deku Tree, the strange curse, or anything of the sort. All he wanted to do right now was sleep and forget any of this had ever happened. Link collected his scattered weapons slowly, Navi pointing each out with her glow, and left.

Leaving the heart of the tree proved to be a lot more difficult than coming in. All of the tunnels he'd come through before sloped up now, making the expedition quite a hike. Luckily, he found the hole leading out of this forsaken pit covered in vines snaking their way up it, leading up and out of the tree. If he hadn't been so tired, climbing them would have been simple. Then at last, after what seemed like hours of walking, Link spotted a shaft of light at the end of one cavern.

"Light!" Navi exclaimed as she leapt from her seat on his shoulder and sped to the opening. Link followed at the same tired, limping pace as before, mind focused only an taking the next step.

The sun was right overhead when he emerged from the bowels of the tree. The boy shielded his eyes against the intense glare, his head throbbing with the sudden change from darkness and drab to vivid bright life. Link stopped when he was out, breathing heavily with exhaustion, his hands supported on his knees. His heart began to beat faster and faster, blood pulsing rapidly through his veins, breath coming quickly and shallow to his lungs. The open wounds on his back burned with the sunlight beating down on them.

"Navi?" he said between breaths. "I think . . . I'm going . . . to faint . . ." Link began to feel dizzy and the world tipped from under his feet, throwing him face forward into the grass.

"Link?" asked a concerned voice above him. "Link?"

Link tried to look up, but all he saw before he blacked out was a flash of green light.

Y -


	8. Chapter Seven: Under the Tears from Heav...

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Seven: Under the Tears From Heaven**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

When he at last came to, Link found not on hard ground, nor within the heart of the Great Deku Tree, but lying in his own soft bed. The boy sat up and rubbed his head, mind full of confusion. Had his experience in the Great Deku Tree been a dream? It certainly seamed as if it were no more than a figment of his imagination. Unfortunately, a rush of pain across his back confirmed its reality.

"Link?" called a familiar, worried voice.

Link, who had, until he heard the voice, thought he was alone, turned and was surprised to see Saria standing in his doorway. She held a shallow bowl of clear water, some small bottles, and a length of white cloth. Upon seeing Link awake, the concern in her face turned to a look of intense relief.

"Oh, thank the spirits you're awake!" she exclaimed, coming in and setting her things on Link's table. "I was so worried."

Link shrugged. "How did you find me?"

"The Great Deku Tree summoned me this afternoon, a few hours after you left. It told me that you had been asked to fulfill some kind of task for it. I had no clue what it was talking about, but the Great Deku Tree told me to wait in its meadow for you to return. I waited for hours and it was almost when I found you."

Saria drew in a deep breath and went on. "I was about to ask the Great Deku Tree if I could leave when Navi suddenly appeared right out of nowhere. She was frantic and led me to a place by one of the Great Deku Tree's roots where there was a huge hole. I found you unconscious just outside, so I brought you back here. You've been asleep and in pretty bad shape ever since."

Link winced with the thought of his recent perils within the tree's heart.

Saria's relief returned to concern. "You took a pretty bad beating doing whatever the Great Deku Tree wanted. Let me take a look."

Link did not protest as the Speaker circled him slowly, examining his body. He didn't look in too good of shape, what with the Gohma slime, the torn tunic, the multitude of small cuts and bruises coming on, and four long, cruel gashes on his back.

"My spirits, Link, you certainly had some trouble." Saria walked back to the table, fetched her healing tools, and knelt behind Link. "What _happened_?"

"I kind of got into a little fight," Link explained. Saria dunked a rag in the water and rung it out.

"These gashes are huge," the girl pointed out as she pulled the shredded cloth of his tunic away from the wounds.

"I didn't do so well."

Saria pressed the damp rag firmly against his back. Link yelped. "What was that for? You don't have to scrub _that _hard!"

"You don't have to lie to me," she retorted simply, removing the cloth. Link winced.

"All right . . ." He hesitated. "But, if I tell you, do you promise to be more gentle?"

Saria smiled. "Of course."

Link took a deep breath. "Well, I was summoned to the Great Deku Tree because it had a job for me. I had to go inside it and destroy some curse."

Saria poured a thick salve from one of her bottles and began to rub it on Link's back. The cream felt cool and soothing against the fiery pain, but it was her presence that provided the most relief.

"I went in and looked around. The Great Deku Tree is really dark inside, and Navi and I were lost for quite a while until I fell down a hole. Inside was this huge monster!" The boy made wild hand motions to give Saria an idea of the size. "Navi said it was a Gohma. Have you ever heard of those?"

"Yes, Kyrian told me about them." Saria wiped her hands and picked up a roll of cloth. "I need to wrap this around your back. Off with the tunic."

Link's face became a vivid crimson. "No way!" he protested. "I'll do it myself, thanks!"

Saria sighed. "You'll do it wrong. Just take off your tunic and let me."

"Not a chance."

"Come on, Link," Saria said, exasperated. "It's not like I _haven't _seen you in your underwear before."

Link's blush deepened. "That was low, Saria."

"Link . . ." Her warning tone told him there was no more joking around. Link obeyed sullenly. "Good." Saria began to wrap the bandage. "So, what happened with the Gohma?"

Link gave her an indignant glare, but continued his tale. "Pretty much what you see here. That thing was loud, fast, and relentless."

"Sort of reminds me of you," Saria muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," she assured him. "What happened next?"

"The inside of the Great Deku Tree is alive, see, and there was this vine growing close by where I was fighting. It had these really weird nuts growing on it that flash when they break. You know, I wonder how they do that . . . are they magic or—"

"Link!"

"Sorry." He gave a little wince and went on. "Anyway, I grabbed one and threw it at the Gohma. I kind of missed, but the nut broke when it hit the ground and the flash stunned the Gohma. Then Navi told me to stab it in the eye. I did and got splattered with all this nasty goo. Do you want to know something else?"

Saria tied the knot. "What?"

"That dagger saved my life," he said, turning around.

Saria's eyes filled with tears. "There's . . . there's something I have to tell you about that dagger."

The serious tone in her voice told Link that whatever Saria was about to say was something secret from deep within her heart. Link leaned in closer. "Yeah?" he urged.

"It was . . . you are . . ." Under his expectant gaze, Saria's stern resolve to tell him the truth began to crumble. "I—"

But whatever she was about to say was cut off by a distinct shimmering. Saria's pale green Forest fairy, Mi, fluttered through Link's door and alit on Saria's shoulder. Upon until that point, Link hadn't noticed her or Navi's absence.

"Mi? What's happening?" Saria looked concerned.

"You and Link have been summoned to the Great Deku Tree," she said quietly. "You have to go right away."

Saria stood and tossed Link a different tunic. "Where's Navi?" the boy asked as he pulled it over his head.

"Already there."

Saria gave Link a worried look as they followed the fairy outside. She had never seen Mi so solemn in her entire life.

Heavy clouds had covered the forest in the time since Link had left the Deku Tree's clearing. Thick rain fell on the two Kokiri as they scrambled down the ladder from Link's house. The plant life drooped pitifully passed it and even the soggy branches of the trees looked sad. As they stepped onto the path that led to the Great Deku Tree's clearing, Link felt Saria stop. She stood with one hand at her neck, the other on her forehead, and a look of awe on her face.

"Saria . . . ?"

"The forest is . . . crying . .." she said in wonder. "Mi . . ."

Mi was instantly by her side.

"I feel death . . . and disease . . ." Saria closed her eyes and concentrated on the message. "Everything is sad and mourning . . ." She opened her eyes and looked up at the fairy, fair viseage consumed by fear. "Mi, what's going on?"

Mi hesitated, her eyes filling with tears that Saria, though could not see, knew existed. "You'll find out when we get there."

They started off again and soon reached the Great Deku Tree's meadow. The rain washed the once-bright shades of green with a sad blue hue. When the Kokiri arrived, Link saw Navi flutter down from the tree's branches. The boy could sense in his heart that she'd been crying.

"Link . . ." she began.

"It's all right,"he assured her, though of what, he had no idea.

Navi and Mi exchanged glances before shimmering through the drizzly air to the Deku Tree's branches. When their pale glows faded from view, the tree spoke.

"Well done, Link." The deep bass of the Great Deku Tree's voice boomed across the clearing. Link and Saria knelt on one knee, their heads bowed. "Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage. I knew thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes."

"My lord, may I speak?" Saria asked.

"Certainly."

Saria took a shaky breath. "I can feel the forest in great pain," she explained. "The trees and the spirits are weeping. What has happened?"

The tree let out a tired sigh. "I summoned thee to explain that. I knew thou wouldst sense that feeling quickly. Now, be seated, for this be a rather long tale."

Saria and Link sat back in the wet grass and looked up at the Great Deku Tree.

"Listen carefully," it began. "A wicked man of the desert, a lifeless wasteland far beyond the forest, came to me yesterday. It was he who cast that dreadful curse upon me, the one thou Link toiled so long and through so much pain and strife to break." The tree paused. "This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm, a perfect world connected to Hyrule. It is within that Sacred Realm where one shalt find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the power of the Goddesses."

Desert? Sorcery? Divine relics? Link's mind was a flurry of confusion as he listened. What was the Sacred Realm? How could it be connected to Hyrule? Who were the Goddesses? And most of all, what was this Triforce? Fortunately for Link, these same things were troubling Saria.

"Lord, I don't understand," the Speaker said. "What are all these things of which you speak?"

The tree creaked. "I should have known thou would not understand. Dost thou know the legend of Creation?"

"No, lord," Saria admitted.

"Then allow me to explain." The Deku Tree took a deep breath. "Before time began, before life and spirits existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. They were Din, the goddess of Power; Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the goddess of Courage. Now Din, with Her strong, flaming arms, She cultivated the land and created the red earth that burns far beneath thy feet. Nayru poured Her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. And Farore, with Her rich soul, produced all life forms that would uphold the law.

"The three great Goddesses, Their labors completed, departed for the heavens and the golden sacred triangles remain at the point where They departed the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our providence and the resting place for the triangles, the sacred Triforce, has become the Sacred Realm. For that reason, thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce."

The more Link heard from the great tree, the clearer things became in his mind. _This man _must_ be the man from my dreams—the one that came into the forest yesterday, that talked to me and put a curse on the Great Deku Tree. _Link thought. _He must be after this Triforce. But why would he come to the Great Deku Tree? _

"Thou must never suffer that man with his evil heart to enter the Sacred Realm of the legend . . ." the Deku Tree concluded. As its words drifted away, a loud crash rang through the clearing. Both Kokiri turned to see a massive branch lying amidst the soaked, drooping grass. Though the branch had only been separated from the Deku Tree for a few seconds, its entire insides were brown and rotten.

"Lord . . .?" came Saria's quavering voice.

"Because of that man's evil curse," the tree said, "my end is nigh . . ."

The Kokiri gasped in shock at the news. Link's heart quickened and a sense of great fear suddenly came over him. This declaration of the Great Deku Tree was a jolting reminder of its mortality. The boy had always viewed the Deku Tree as a guardian saint in the forest. It had lived longer than anything else, providing it with a divine and exalted stature. To Link, the thought of the Great Deku Tree dying amounted to the death of a protective god—it filled him with the feeling of vulnerability as well as grief.

"Isn't there anything we can do, lord?" Link asked, silently begging for an alternative.

Sadly, the tree knew there was none to be had—no way to escape the inevitable. "Although thy valiant efforts to break the death curse were successful, I was doomed even before thee began."

Link's shoulders began to shake as he fought the urge to cry. Angry, unshed tears stung his eyes. "Then you . . . you . . ."

"Yes." The Great Deku Tree knew what he was trying to say. Saria hid her eyes. "I shalt pass on soon, yet dost not grieve for me, for I hath been able to tell thee of these important matters . . . This is Hyrule's final hope . . . Link . . ." Link looked up as he heard the deep voice utter his name. "I hath one last request of thee—that thou go to Hyrule Castle, outside the border of this forest. There, thou shalt find the Princess of Destiny. Thou art fated to meet . . ." The tree paused before suddenly addressing Saria. "Speaker of the Kokiri . . ."

Saria stood. "Lord?"

"Give Link the stone," the Deku Tree instructed. "That stone, which the desert man wanted so much he cast the curse upon me."

"Are you sure, lord?" Saria asked skeptically. "That is the forest's sacred treasure. Many lives where lost in the War of the Races so that we could keep it."

"Link shalt need it far more than the Kokiri forest ever will . . ." the Great Deku Tree declared.

Saria nodded slowly. "Very well, lord."

"I am most grateful, Speaker . . ." It paused. "Saria . . ."

Saria forced a sad smile out of respect, but inside her heart was breaking and unbridled tears ran down her cheeks.

"The future depends upon thee, Link . . ." The Great Deku Tree's voice was quavering with sadness, an emotion the boy never knew it possessed, though he realized it would be silly if gods and goddesses did not portray emotion. "Thou art courageous . . ."

With these words, the boy finally let his tears fall. At the sight of the distraught Kokiri, their guardian fairies left the canopy of the Deku Tree's branches to comfort them under the pouring rain.

"Navi, fairy of Water . . . help Link to carry out my will . . ." The tree's once booming voice began to lose its volume. "Mi, fairy of Forest, aid Saria in what lies ahead . . . thou shalt understand when the time comes . . ."

The fairies nodded respectfully.

"I entreat ye . . . Navi . . . good . . . bye . . ."

And with those last words, words only the tiny blue fairy understood the meaning of, the clearing was filled with utter silence. No longer did the steady hum of life pulse through its midst, life brimming from the Great Deku Tree. No birds sang, nor animals chattered. The weeping of the trees that only Saria heard became cries of intense despair. Tears from heaven mingled with tears bourn by mortal grief, falling to the ground underfoot of the same grieving hearts. The guardian of the forest, the patron of life, and the last relic of Creation—the Great Deku Tree—was dead.

Above the sorrowful crying, no one heard one Water fairy's tiny, heartfelt whisper. "Goodbye . . . Great Deku Tree . . ."

Y -


	9. Chapter Eight: Back to Normal

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Eight: Back to Normal**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

Link and Saria left the Great Deku Tree's clearing in a stunned silence, never saying a word as they each went home and to bed. The two Kokiri could hardly comprehend that the Great Deku Tree was dead. For their magnificent patron to be subject to the whims of mortality did not seem possible, though they had watched it happen. Neither child slept until hours later, when they had cried all their tears. Even then, Link sat up for a longer time, dry-sobbing into his knees, for in his heart, he was sure this was all his fault.

Navi could do nothing to calm her distraught partner. Now that the two did not have a request to fulfill, she felt awkward around the boy. She had never spent much time with any Kokiri before this and had little idea how to act around one—especially one in the middle of an emotional breakdown. In the end, the fairy settled down on Link's left shoulder and held a calming hand to the side of his neck, praying it might have some calming affect.

Morning came and Link had neither spoken nor slept the entire night, which shown on his expressionless face. Nothing Navi could do would jog a response from the lifeless Kokiri.

"What do you plan to do today?" she asked, feeling awkward.

Link didn't answer.

_I should have expected that. _Navi thought to herself. _I might as well be talking to myself for all the recognition he gives me._

"Are you going to be all right?" the fairy tried again. "Is there something I can do?"

Link continued to ignore her.

_Well, _that _did a lot. _

"Will you at least _talk _to me?"

Nothing.

"Link?"

Silence.

Navi fluttered her wings angrily. She had a very short temper and almost never held back her fire once it had been ignited.

"Oh, you're hopeless!" The fairy threw up her hands and leapt off Link's motionless shoulder. "I'm going to see Saria," Navi stated as she zipped out the door. "You can just stay in here all day, if that's what you want!"

She flew out onto the balcony in a huff and waited. A minute later, as expected, Link emerged and solemnly looked up at her. "I'll come with."

Navi could not conceal her triumphant smile.

Y -

Link entered the squat lavender-painted house to find it empty. "She's not here,"Navi stated as she and Link stared in.

Back outside, Link looked around, hoping to spot Saria coming home. "Where do you think she is?"

Navi shrugged.

"Might as well go ask Sonya and Joseph," Link went on.

Navi settled on her partner's shoulder as he turned and headed to the small rise where sat a house almost identical to Saria's, save for its paint was cherry red. Unfortunately, as they reached the foot of the hill, a very loud and very obnoxious voice yell at Link.

"Hey 'Mr. No-Fairy'!"

Link sighed heavily and turned to see Mido emerging from his own home. "So what'd the Great Deku Tree want you with you?" Mido asked as he reached Link.

"None of your business," Link snapped, walking away.

Mido snorted. "The rumors are probably true then."

Link froze, his blood turning to ice. Could Mido possibly know about the Great Deku Tree's curse? How much did he know? "What rumors?" Link asked, unable to keep his voice still.

He turned to Mido and found the little leader with a dead-serious expression fogging his usual self-elated air. "The Great Deku Tree is dead."

Link felt a sting of guilt in his heart.

"You were the last person to speak with it," Mido went on accusingly.

"What are you talking about?" Link began as Mido's words and inclination sank in. "Are you saying _I _killed the Great Deku Tree?"

Mido's mouth fell open. "You admit you did it? You killed the Great Deku Tree?"

"No I—" Link tried to explain, but Mido cut him off.

"I knew it," he said, mostly to himself. "I knew it all along. I knew something bad was going to happen the minute Saria took you in. I knew you'd be trouble!"

"Mido—"

"How could you do a thing like that?" the frantic Kokiri went on, waving his arms wildly. "How could you just _kill _the guardian of the forest? How can you be so cold-hearted?" Mido scoffed and fury covered his face. "I can't believe you! Without the Great Deku Tree, we're all going to die! This is all your fault, Link! It's all your fault!"

Without so much as waiting for Link to try to defend himself against the onslaught of accusations, Mido pivoted around and stalked fuming back into his house. Link was left to stand dumbfounded in the middle of the clearing.

"What was _that_?" Navi asked, both staring at the place Mido had just been.

Link shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. I've seen Mido do some weird stuff, but I've never seen him do _that _before."

"Sounds like something strange is going on."

"That'll be another good thing to ask Sonya and Joseph about," Link said as he hurried up the hill. Working on their hands and knees in the garden in front of the house was Joseph and a little girl with thick blonde pigtails.

Sola was one of the smallest Kokiri in the forest, with a body and mentality of an eight year old. She had lived ten years and was partnered with a Forest fairy named Kae. Joseph was teaching the pair about growing vegetables, as he did for many of the children in the forest. Not surprisingly, they appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Kokiri partnered with Forest fairies were often more environmentally conscious than other Kokiri.

It is well known in the forest that fairies act as a mirror to the desires and feelings of the soul of their partner. Those with Spirit and Fire fairies often acted devilish and tricksome. Wind fairy Kokiri are concerned with change and make strong leaders. Those with Light fairies act pure and innocent—Shadow Kokiri the opposite. Those who possess Water fairies are loyal and steadfast, the way water flows that you can always depend on it. To judge a Kokiri by their type of fairy almost always gives one the correct impression of the Kokiri's character.

When Link approached, Joseph and Sola were kneeling in a patch of dirt where multiple tiny green shoots were beginning to grow. Sola's fairy, Kae, was seated on a leaf and paying as avid attention to Joseph as her partner.

"Now, take a look at the leaf on this radish," Joseph was explaining, fingering one of the tiny plants. "You see all these tiny bites? What do you think they're from?"

Sola thought about it for a moment. "Cockroaches?"

Joseph shook his head with a smile. "No, nothing like that. It's just your common garden parasites." He smiled at Link as the boy leaned over the garden fence to watch. Sola didn't notice his presence.

"So, what do you do about them?" Joseph asked the girl.

Sola was silent for a long time, but, for all the thought that went into it, her answer was merely a shrug.

"Come on, Sola," Joseph pleaded. "We went over this yesterday."

"I'm sorry." The girl hung her head.

"Aw, cheer up." Joseph smiled and motioned Link into the garden. "Link will tell us, won't you, Link?"

Link returned the smile nervously as he climbed over the fence and knelt in the dirt beside Joseph. He had as much idea about what was wrong with the radishes as Sola. Link touched the plant and he wracked his memory for a solution. It'd been a while since he had worked in the garden with Joseph.

"It looks like all this is from aphids," Link said slowly. A few tiny green bugs on the plant told him he was right. The boy pointed these out to Sola. "See?"

Sola leaned over and peered closely at them. "How do you get rid of them?"

"What you need is a bunch of ladybugs," Link explained. "Ladybugs eat aphids and that will keep the plants healthy."

"Couldn't Kae do something?" Sola looked up, her brown eyes full of interest.

Link exchanged glances with Joseph. "I believe Forest fairies have power to grow things, but I don't think Kae knows how to use that power yet."

"I do," the little fairy piped. She leapt from her seat and touched the leaves of the bug-ridden radish. The plant glowed with Kae's power as it magically filled out and became healthy.

"I guess that's one way to do it," Navi muttered to herself. "Use the power of your pendant."

"What was that?" Link asked her, having almost heard.

"Nothing," Navi replied in a bored tone.

Joseph's Shadow fairy, Tal, fluttered down next to Kae. "You all right?" he asked.

Kae nodded. "Yeah, but I'm exhausted."

There was a tiny smug smile on Tal's face. "I expected that. It takes a lot of magic to heal a plant. Even one as small as this."

Joseph spread a handful of rich, dark earth around the base of the stem. "From now on, I would suggest letting the ladybugs do the work."

Kae nodded.

Joseph sat back on his heels. "Well, that's enough gardening for one day. Catch some ladybugs for me and I'll teach you how they can help tomorrow."

A bright smile appeared on Sola's face, the same smile any student exhibited when class was ending. Even though she loved gardening very much, Sola didn't like to sit still for long. She leapt over the short fence surrounding the garden and hurried down the hill calling, "See you tomorrow, Joseph!"

Joseph couldn't help smiling as she left.

"Where's Nicle?" Link asked. "I thought you were teaching her and Sola at the same time."

"Her fairy is sick," Joseph answered. "Nicle wasn't feeling too good either."

Link climbed over the fence again as Joseph gathered his gardening tools. The elder Kokiri seemed unusually quiet all of the sudden, as if there was something on his mind. Something troublesome.

"Hey Joseph," Link began as Joseph leapt the fence and went inside. "Is something wrong?"

Joseph began restacking his tools on the shelves. "Why would you say that?"

"You seem really quiet," Link observed, sitting down on one of the benches surrounding the unlit fire pit. "Everybody's been acting really weird today and I think Mido's completely off his rocker."

Joseph snorted. "Mido's always like that."

Link shook his head, his demeanor serious. "No, he's not like himself at all. While I was on my way over here, he just walked right up to me and blew up in my face. He was just going on and on about how he thought _I _killed the Great Deku Tree. Isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard?"

Joseph was silent. The small smile that had appeared on Link's face as he spoke vanished in an instant. "You don't believe him . . . do you?"

Joseph looked down. "In all honesty, Link, I don't know what to believe." He walked from the shelves and seated himself next to Link. "I know you're a good person and I trust you, but . . ."

"What?"

"Well, you _were _the last person summoned to the Great Deku Tree," said Joseph. "I don't think you would do such a thing, but you know what some of the other Kokiri think about you."

Link nodded silently, not looking up.

"Besides," Joseph stood, "if Mido heard that from Ressa or Tessa, it's guaranteed to be a rumor." The elder Kokiri grinned with the thought. "Don't worry. After awhile, they'll all forget about it."

Link looked up at him, his face filling with relief. "Thanks, Joseph."

"Anytime," said Joseph. "So, did you come up here for something?"

"Yes, actually." Link got up and the two boys headed outside again. "I'm looking for Saria."

"I saw her this morning," Joseph replied. "She brought Sola over."

"Did she say where she was going?"

Joseph put his hands on his hips. "She told me to tell you to meet her at the usual place in the Lost Woods."

_The Sacred Forest Meadow, _Link thought to himself.

"When I asked her what she was talking about, she just said it was nothing," Joseph went on. "If you think something's up with _Mido_, you obviously haven't seen _Saria _today."

"Okay," said Link. "Where's Sonya?"

"She and the triplets went into the forest to gather berries." Joseph jerked his thumb behind him, south.

Link nodded. "Well, I should go find Saria. See you later!" he called as he turned and hurried in the opposite direction, into a thick part of the forest.

Y -


	10. Chapter Nine: The Heart of the Forest

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Nine: The Heart of the Forest**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

"Where are we going?" Navi asked, flying next to him.

Link ducked under a branch. "The Sacred Forest Meadow."

"That's the usual place?"

Link nodded, looking around. There were several faint trails running through the Lost Woods, a dense, ancient part of the forest said to house terrific magical powers. Only the Kokiri children had any idea of the mystic energies.

"Are you lost?"

"No." He turned left. Only one of the trails would lead him to the Sacred Forest Meadow, the place Saria had asked to meet him. The other trails led deeper into the heart of the Woods where, if one did not know exactly what they were doing, they would be killed.

These mysterious trails were one of the Woods' innumerable defenses. Each defense had been created with the single purpose of keeping the Sacred Forest Meadow safe. The Meadow was a pure place that was home to the Forest Temple. The temple, an ancient structure that seemed older than the Lost Woods, radiated a magic aura, so said Saria, who had an odd ability to sense these things.

Link knew very little about the Forest Temple, save that it was especially sacred and to be treated with the utmost respect. It was rumored that the Forest Temple was the reason that most life began in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Something of the temple's mysterious properties must have caused the fertility of the Meadow, which led to the growth of the great trees and thus, a cycle of birth, life, and death began. One that had remained uninterrupted to this day.

Obviously, if this were true, it made perfect sense why the wild overgrowth of the Lost Woods turned up to protect it. All Kokiri understood the workings of the Woods. They had been imbued with vastly powerful and just as ancient magic of illusion. Because of this, the Sacred Forest Meadow was impossible to find, unless one either knew the way or had the help of a guide.

Ages ago, when the Woods were still young, groups of foolish Hylians would venture into the forest seeking the Forest Temple. Not one ever came back. Over time, the illusions of the Lost Woods bred superstition amongst the outsiders. Things that they did not understand often frightened them beyond resolve, and they would make up reasons to justify their fear. These uncertainties further guarantied that the Woods and their treasures would not be disturbed.

"You're sure this is the right way?" asked Navi as they passed a branch that looked very familiar.

"Positive," Link replied, hardly listening.

"You've been to the Sacred Forest Meadow before?" Navi went on.

"Yeah."

"How often?"

"Plenty of times."

"How many is that?"

"Navi!" Link wheeled around to face the fairy. "Would you stop worrying? I know what I'm doing."

Navi blushed sheepishly. "Sorry," she muttered as they started off again.

Link had no trouble finding his way through the Lost Woods, as he demonstrated to the skeptic Navi. When he had been very young, somewhere around six years old, Saria taught him the secrets to navigating the Lost Woods. The trick was to listen. _"Ignore what your mind is telling you and just focus on your heart." _She would say. _"It'll lead you anywhere you want to go in the Lost Woods as long as you have faith."_

After much practice, the boy managed to navigate the Woods as easily as any being of the forest. Unfortunately, while he had still been learning, Link would become so confused and turned around that he ended up back in the Kokiri's village every time. _"That's because you wanted to come home." _Saria explained once. _"You get so frustrated in the Woods that you tell yourself you can't do it and just want to go home. That proves that you _can _do it, you just need to focus a little harder."_

Now that Link knew how to make it through the Lost Woods, he had no trouble distinguishing the path that would lead him to where he wanted to go from the paths that could get him killed.

As he traipsed slowly through the thick underbrush, Link heard the faint whisper of music. Link smiled as he heard the tune, a sure sign that he had almost reached his destination.

"What's that?" Navi suddenly asked, having noticed the melody. "It sounds like music."

Link ignored her as the trees thinned and he found himself in the Sacred Forest Meadow. The Meadow was almost half the size of the clearing in which the Kokiri lived, but far more beautiful. The lush, bottle-green grass was so thick it seemed like moss. Everywhere he looked, Link could see tiny forest creatures; birds twittering in the canopy of the trees, squirrels and chipmunks darting across the branches while graceful deer grazed below. The sight of the Kokiri boy did not strike the animals as any significant reason to abandon their present pursuits, so they ignored him.

Amidst the outer bounds of the Meadow where sixteen tall, graceful trees that seemed to stand out from all the others. The trees looked strong and healthy, but at the same time had an aura of magnificent fragility to them. Link could feel something strange about these trees, but would never have guessed what it was. The sixteen trees were the mother trees, glorious spirits that grew the Kokiri in their wombs.

At the furthest end of the Meadow from where he had entered, Link spotted Saria sitting on an old rotting stump. Her eyes were closed and she had her small ocarina to her lips, blowing through it a lively tune, the one he had heard upon entering the Meadow. The girl's body bobbed side to side and her foot tapped in time with the quick beat. Slowly, Link walked over to where she sat, treading softly on the copious grass. Saria, oblivious to anything but her music, did not notice the boy stop and sit before her. Link listened to the song with his hands folded in his lap, waiting patiently for her to finish.

When the song ended, Saria opened her eyes and suddenly spotted Link, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere while she had been playing. The girl gasped and jumped to her feet, causing Link to burst into peals of laughter.

"Link!" she exclaimed, a hand over her chest to still her pounding heart. "You scared me! How dare you sneak up on me like that?"

"You shoulda . . . seen the look . . ." Link managed to say between laughs,". . . on your face . . . !"

Saria crossed her arms indignantly, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you."

Link had stopped laughing, but continued to grin triumphantly. "I'm sorry, Saria. I was talking to Joseph."

"About what?" Saria asked.

The smile faded and Link's visage became serious. "Some of the Kokiri are saying _I _killed the Great Deku Tree." Link launched into a quick explanation about what Mido and Joseph had said.

Saria nodded, understanding. "Tessa made that accusation to me this morning."

"Do you believe her?" Apprehension filled the boy's face.

"Not for a second."

Link sighed with relief.

"Those two are all rumor and no fact," Saria added, referring to Tessa and her twin sister, Ressa. "Don't pay any attention to them."

Link looked considerably more calm after that.

"How come you wanted to meet me here?" the boy asked.

Saria hesitated. She had wanted Link here so that she could fulfill her promise to the Great Deku Tree, to give the boy something very important. The Speaker had been in conflict with herself ever since the death of her patron. The tree's last request was something she did not want to do. Yet, no matter what she felt, Saria was obligated to carry it out. Her word, the word of the Speaker of the Kokiri, bound her to the deed.

"I . . ."she started. "I have something to give you . . . "

Link held his breath. He could tell that something of great importance was about to happen by the way Saria was acting. She seemed unusually secretive of him today, while she was always so open around the boy. Saria closed her eyes with a long sigh and dug into her pocket. From inside, she slowly withdrew a gem, a large emerald about the size of Link's fist with a thin gold cord snaking ornately around it. Sunlight refracted off its smooth, multi-facetted surface and threw thousands of green sparkles across the pair. Saria cupped it gently in the palms of her hands.

"This is the Kokiri's Emerald," she said in a soft voice. "It's an incredibly important symbol of the forest. This and two stones like it were the cause of the War of the Races almost twenty-four years ago. The Hylians wanted these stones very badly, but for what reason, I don't know. They tried to burn down the forest to get it. I don't know why the Great Deku Tree wanted you to take it, but I believe it might have something to do with your journey."

The tiny green lights danced across Saria's solemn face as she placed the emerald in Link's outstretched hands. "The Kokiri's Emerald is the heart of the forest, Link," she added. "Please take good care of it."

"I promise." He spotted a small tear on her cheek. "Why are you crying?"

"The forest spirits are grieving," she replied, wiping the tear away with the back of her hand. "They weep for the Great Deku Tree, they weep for the sacred stone, and they weep for change. The spirits are afraid."

"Of what?"

"The events of a great prophecy have begun to transpire. They are afraid that the forest will burn again."

"Do _you _think it will?" Link asked quietly.

Saria shook her head. "I don't know. Before the War of the Races, I never thought someone _could _set the Kokiri Forest on fire." She paused, overcome by sad memories from that time. "Stuff like that never seems real until it hits home."

"Saria . . .?" Link began timidly.

Saria looked up at him with a sad smile. "I'm okay—don't worry."

"All right," he replied skeptically

"When are you leaving?"

It struck Link that she asked such. He had realized Saria knew he was leaving, but, for some reason, the thought of it actually happening had never registered in his mind. Now that Saria had said it, it seemed a sure thing, as if there had been some shred of hope that he would have been able to stay in the forest.

"Later tonight, after sunset," Link answered. "I don't want everyone to know I'm leaving."

"That's a good idea," Saria agreed. "But before you go, you should come to the Great Deku Tree's meadow. A service and silent vigil have been planned in honor of the Great Deku Tree tonight and you ought to be there."

Link looked away. "I want to come, but I don't think I should."

"Why not?"

"I have a really bad feeling . . ." Link said. "I think something's going to happen. Something terrible."

"Oh, I understand," empathized Saria. "I think I know what you're talking about. You think some of the Kokiri are going to try something against you."

Link nodded without looking at her.

"I hadn't thought of that," Saria went on. "Everyone would have had enough time by now to get over their shock and are probably looking for some way of revenge. Especially Mido. He seems devastated." Saria sat for a minute, rubbing her chin, deep in thought.

"What am I going to do?" Link whimpered quietly. "I don't want to die, but I don't want to dishonor the Great Deku Tree's memory by not coming."

"Then come to the service," Saria decided. "Come to the service, but stay out of sight—you don't want to attract any attention. Then you can sneak away when the vigil starts. I think the Great Deku Tree would understand, considering the circumstances."

Link looked up at her hopefully. "Do you think this will work?"

"I don't know," Saria answered seriously. "Now go home. Try to get some sleep before tonight. You should travel all night until you're out of the forest."

"Saria, about that . . ." Link trailed off.

"Nothing will happen to you when you leave the forest's bounds," Saria assured him. "Mido made that up years ago to keep the Kokiri from wanting to leave the forest. You'll be as able to survive outside the forest as any Hylian."

Link looked relieved as he stood up. "Well, I guess I should go get ready to leave. I'll see you at the service, Saria," he said as he turned and walked slowly away.

"But I won't see you," she said to herself when he was out of earshot. The Speaker picked up her ocarina and played the same song as before, but at half the speed. Where it had at first been a jovial welcome was now a quavering farewell.

Y -

". . . And all life, from the smallest forest insects to the first Kokiri children, paid homage to the Great Deku Tree and accepted it as the most superior life form."

Saria, the Speaker of the Kokiri, stood at the foot of the great deity, closely surrounded by fifteen of her peers, the forest children, and their fairy partners. They were seated in complete silence around her, listening as she told the story of the Great Deku Tree's origins and the creation of the forest. Far on the outskirts of the meadow, in the shadow of the forest stood the seventeenth Kokiri, Link, and his fairy partner. Out of sight of the other Kokiri, Link listened to his best friend deliver her eulogy with the gracious respect she deserved.

". . . The Great Deku Tree, being the source of all life in the forest, decided that it needed help to care for the forest to the utmost of its power. So the Great Deku Tree grew six Guardian trees out of the earth, each to harbor one task to keep the forest safe. The Great Deku Tree realized that there were limits to its power, which teaches us to know that there are some things that we can't do, either on our own or at all . . ."

Thin wafts of creamy clouds lazed past overhead. The sunset was a vibrant wash of colors that evening. The sky above the treetops was splashed with bright orange and vivid crimson. All the clearing was colored with an orange sheen.

". . . A storm that rained fire fell upon the clearing. The Guardian trees, which could not protect themselves from disaster as the Great Deku Tree could, were killed and reduced to stumps. The Great Deku Tree was forced to take their burdens upon itself, teaching that, when a responsibility falls on us, we should accept it without argument, as the Great Deku Tree did . . ."

_Responsibility . . . _Link mused. A cold breeze caused the boy to shiver, pulling the course jade blanket tighter around his body.

". . . Then the Kokiri children hollowed out the great Guardians and used the stumps as homes to keep out of the rain and cold. From this we learn that nothing is to be wasted, but used as much as possible, as is honorable . . ."

_What will happen to the Great Deku Tree then?_

". . . The Great Deku Tree was more than just a patron guardian and the physical representation of the forest's Creators. It protected the boundaries of the forest, filled the soil with nutrients to help life grow, shielded the Sacred Forest Meadow with the wild overgrowth of the Lost Woods, grew the mother trees which we the Kokiri are born from, protected the flowers that created our fairies, and kept peace and tranquility between the forest's inhabitants . . ."

Everything was silent, listening to Saria's words. Every being in the forest had stopped its own tasks to hear the final blessing of the Great Deku Tree's life. It was only fitting that all life stopped for a short time to honor the patron of the forest, who would not live when this ceremony was over.

". . . The last lesson the Great Deku Tree had to teach us was mortality. All things have a time to live and a time to die. Even the Great Deku Tree had to die sometime. But death is never the end- a new journey with wonderful things to be discovered awaits those whose happiness seem over, but in fact has just begun . . ."

A chill wind brushed past Link's cheek, causing his tears to burn with the cold. _A new journey awaits . . ._ Saria seemed to be looking directly at the grove of trees in which he hid. Surely, the words had been meant for him. In some odd, unexplainable way, they made him feel better.

At the foot of the tree, Saria bowed her head, signaling that she had said her piece. Mi, the Speaker's fairy, fluttered her wings and jumped from Saria's shoulder into the air. "But the Great Deku Tree has not left us with nothing of its great legacy to be remembered by. A treasure of unbelievable worth grows in our midst . . ."

A murmur ran through the assembled Kokiri and Link straightened with interest. Navi leapt off his shoulder and hovered several inches above his head, trying to catch Mi's gaze. _What she's saying . . ._ the little Water fairy thought frantically. _It can't what I think it is . . . can it? _

Mi clutched her hands to her chest, feeling the pounding of her heart. "We have not lost the Great Deku Tree by any more means than Fate and mortality. Its legacy lives on . . . in this tiny seed . . ." The fairy held out her cupped hands as the concealing glow around her dimmed. In her palms was a tiny sandy-colored seed, about the size of Saria's index fingernail.

". . . This seed, though so small now, will someday grow to be as big as the Great Deku Tree once was. It will be the new patron of the forest and continue to protect us until it too is taken by mortality, many uncountable centuries from now . . ."

Mi's glow returned as she gently placed the seed in Saria's outstretched hand. "As Speaker of the Kokiri," Saria resumed, "I will plant it here, at the base of the Great Deku Tree. As the Great Deku Tree corrodes and becomes part of the forest soil, the seed will take its nutrients and flourish. So, we will not touch the Great Deku Tree—we shall let it grow the new seed . . ."

Navi settled again on Link's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "We should be going soon. The ceremony is about over."

Link nodded. "As soon as the vigil starts, we'll go back to my house, get my stuff, and leave."

". . . In honor of the Great Deku Tree's life, death, and sacrifice, we shall observe a silent vigil all night. In that time, please think about what the Great Deku Tree meant to you, what you knew about it, times it summoned you, and so forth. We shall respect the Great Deku Tree's memory until daybreak starting now . . ."

Then, the forest was silent. It was as if _all _life, not merely the Kokiri, were participating in the vigil. The knowledge made Link feel even worse about his decision to leave. He did go though, for he knew what the Great Deku Tree asked of him. Without a word, the boy turned and vanished into the forest.

Y -

Back at his house, Link quickly retrieved a small leather bag from where it lay on his bed. The bag had been packed earlier with a few of the necessitates—food, water, the stone Saria had entrusted him with, the items to make his slingshot, and a few herbs to tend his wound.

"How are you feeling?" Navi asked timidly, indicating his back. She was not sure whether he wanted to talk or not, considering how he must have felt after the eulogy.

"I'll be fine," Link replied, hoping to quell the worry he could hear in her voice. Link grabbed his sword, checked to see that was properly attached to its bandoleer, and carefully pulled it over his shoulder. "I can travel."

"Are you sure?" The fairy landed on one of the flowers on his table.

Link turned to face her. "Positive. It can't be very far from here to the 'castle' the Great Deku Tree was talking about."

"How do you know?"

"There aren't any trees after the forest ends," Link reasoned. "We'll probably be able to see it when we get out. The world can't be _that _big."

"What if a 'castle' is a really small thing?" continued the endless bundle of questions.

Link grabbed his little wooden shield and swung it across his back. "Then how would the 'Princess of Destiny' fit in it?" Link retorted.

"Do you even know what a 'Princess of Destiny' is?" Navi asked.

"Saria said that a 'princess' is a kind of Hylian," said Link as he checked to see that the gilt dagger was still tied firmly around his waist. "I doubt a 'Princess of Destiny' is much different."

Navi sighed, Link's statement finishing the argument, and followed the boy outside.

The forest was bathed in cool moonlight as Link stepped out. Not surprising at all, Link found the clearing graced by nature and life even in the still of night. The sound of crickets chirping and the sight of fireflies dancing in the tall grass complemented the clearing with a pristine effect. Every tree house in the clearing was dark and quiet, its occupants still at the Great Deku Tree's meadow for the silent vigil, unbeknownst that one of their number was about to leave the forest.

Link descended his ladder and decided to head west. Saria had told him that once, a long time ago, a Hylian had stumbled into the forest from that direction. Since Link was pretty sure he was looking for a Hylian, he figured trying where one had been seen was the best place to start. Plus, it was the opposite direction of the other Kokiri.

After a few minutes of walking between the lush green trees, Link found himself at the foot of a bridge. Beneath it was a good-sized stream of water sparkling with reflected starlight. The bridge had been built for access over the stream in the spring, when it raged nearly triple its usual size. Link's footsteps clunked softly across the sturdy wooden planks. Two rope side-rails stretched either side of the bridge. Link's thoughts, however, were not focused on the bridge, or the forest and his friends. All he could think about was what the world away from the trees was like. A million questions clogged his usually sharp perception of the things around him, which was why he did not notice the familiar figure at the edge of the bridge, waiting for him.

"You're leaving . . ."

Link stopped, instantly recognizing the voice. He slowly turned around to find Saria, one arm wrapped around a fraying strand of rope, watching him with a heartfelt sad look on her face.

"It's good that you go now, Link. I heard talk this afternoon—Mido and some of his friends want to make you pay for the death of the Great Deku Tree. I don't know what they would have done, but I have no doubt that it could have been life threatening. They're so confused, and they don't know what to do with all the emotions they're feeling. I fear they would have killed you . . ." Saria trailed off. "I should have known it would come to this . . ."

Link said nothing.

"I knew . . ." she went on slowly. "I knew you'd leave the forest someday . . ."

Link walked to her. "I told you that this afternoon."

Saria shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "No, I've known for a long time—since you were an infant. It's because you're . . ."

She stopped, the thought frozen in her mind. Link looked at her expectantly. Saria opened her mouth again, but the words would not come. In her head, she knew exactly what she wanted to tell him—the truth. _If I don't tell him, this thing will haunt me like a demon for the rest of my life. I'll never see him again once he leaves the forest, _Saria told herself. _I should tell him everything, but I just _can't. _I don't know why, but it's just something I cannot do . . . _

"It's because you're . . . different . . . from me and the other Kokiri," she finally managed to say.

"Different?" Link repeated. "In what way?"

"Just . . . different," Saria said with much effort. "You're just different . . ." The girl turned down her eyes sadly. "But that's okay," she went on, "because, even though you're leaving, we'll still be friends forever . . . won't we?" She looked up at him hopefully.

"Of course we will," Link assured her. "We'll always be friends."

Saria looked relieved. "You won't forget me when you leave?"

_Why is she acting like this? _Link asked himself. _She's being so insecure—I've never seen her so worried before, so unsure of things. _"How could I ever forget you?" Link held out his hand. "I won't be gone long—maybe only a couple days. But even if I _were _gone forever, there's no way I'd forget you. You're my best friend."

Saria's eyes filled with tears as she pulled Link into a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. Slightly shocked for a moment, Link rubber her back softly, letting her get it all out. He knew from experience that sometimes, Saria just needed to cry and nothing he could say would make a difference. This was just one of those times. Oddly, just a couple minutes later, she pushed him away and rubbed her eyes dry with the back of her hand.

"Are you going to be okay?" Link asked, his eyes shining with concern.

Saria nodded, giving him a small smile. Another tear rolled down her cheek as, from her pocket, she pulled out her ocarina. The girl gave it a long look, and then turned back to her friend.

"Link," she began, "I want you to have my ocarina." She held it out to him.

Link looked from the little wooden instrument to Saria. "You're giving me your ocarina? But why? You love playing . . . are you really willing to give that up for me?"

"It's worth it," Saria told him. "Besides, you said yourself you wouldn't be gone long. And anyway, if you feel so bad about taking it, just know I can make another one."

Link took the ocarina in his hand. It was perfectly smooth he found, rubbing it underneath with his thumb. "Saria . . ."

Saria held up a hand to silence him. "Link, I've decided. Don't try to talk me out of it. It's a goodbye gift."

Link nodded. The two that faced each other in silence for that moment, both so alike, were so different for one particular instant. Saria, with her eyes full of tears and face expressing the heartache within, looked like the world was ending. Then Link, both hopeful and sad at the same time, was reluctant to leave his friends, but excitedly anticipated seeing the world, which to him was just beginning, outside the forest.

Saria closed her eyes, realizing that, no matter what pained her heart, certain events must transpire, and Link's journey was one of them.

"So . . ." Saria said. "Goodbye, Link."

"Saria . . ." Link started, but Saria held out her hand to stop him again.

"Don't say anything- just go," she ordered. "This is really hard for me . . . do you understand?" Her words were becoming sharp.

Link took a step back, his visage solemn. "Goodbye, Saria." With those last words, Link turned and sprinted across the bridge, into the forest beyond, and out of sight.

The withheld tears poured down the Speaker's cheeks as she slumped into a pathetic heap on the bridge, and her heart knew only sorrow as Link disappeared.

Y -


	11. Chapter Ten: Dreams and Prophecies

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Ten: Dreams and Prophecies**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

_All she could see for miles upon miles was total empty darkness. It was not like the darkness of late night where stars still shown overhead, or even the black of shadows when one could still sense objects hidden from sight. This darkness was complete, as if someone had taken away everything that had ever existed, leaving only utter black. __Over her head, she could sense clouds billowing, and as she looked up, a deep rumbling filled her ears. The clouds bumbled over each other blindly, crashing with earsplitting bangs into other clouds, each time louder than the last. The clouds were product of some evil . . . No, they were pure evil-the essence of evil itself._

_Their presence over her head filled her with the most awesome fear, consuming all of her and leaving her to feel helpless. It felt as though nothing could beat this terrible evil. There was nothing in existence in this entire world that could do so . . . But in another world, there was an object that could bring salvation. __She closed her eyes to the dark clouds and spoke quiet words in an ancient tongue under her breath. "Aisrdce Tsuin de Aeqao . . . Aisrdce Tsuin de Phyráe . . . Aisrdce Tsuin de Fuirst . . . Udliin Riuww Icu Htufre . . ."_

_But what happened as result of the ancient spell was neither what she had hoped or expected. Straight from the center of the forest shot a bolt of piercing white light. It radiated, a pillar of solid purity, product of all that was good, from the heart of the forest. __Within the beam of light, a confident figure dressed in the emerald green of the trees around him, stood with a calm look on his face. He held out his hands to her, a glittering green object cupped within them. The dark clouds pressed in on all sides, trying to smother the man and the light, but neither even flinched, both shining strong. The darkness could not taint them, she saw, no matter how hard it tried._

_The clouds screamed in frustration, and their angry tears became drops of fire, falling to the forest beneath. The rain of flames showered the trees, catching with ease and spreading almost instantly. __Fire engulfed the forest, its horrible blaze clawing at the sky. The light began to fade, power dwindling as the living forest twisted into death. The man within no longer looked secure but worried, a vision of terrible fear overtaking his visage. Then, a cold, maniacal laugh rang out, louder than the rumbling of the dark clouds overhead, louder than the burning forest, even louder than the powerful hum of the light. _

_She and the man looked around wildly, trying to find the source of the sound, but with no success. The laughter grew stronger and the fire burned brighter until the light from the forest flickered and went out, the man disappearing with it. Everything became black and silent again, perfectly still for several minutes. Then, two red eyes appeared, frightening against the black void. Slowly, they came closer and the laugh came again until . . ._

"Impa!"

The terrified scream shattered the peaceful, silent night and the nightmare was abruptly ended. The girl it had been tormenting shot up in bed, panting and shaking with fear. Her dark sapphire eyes were wide and her body drenched in cold sweat. She was shivering, a combination of fear and a cool breeze across her body.

There was a loud creak as a pair of heavy, ornate oak doors across from the magnificent four-poster bed was flung open. Though it was very dark, the young occupant of the bed could make out the lean silhouette of her beloved caretaker.

"Impa?" she called quietly.

"I'm here, Zelda," answered the form with a warm, compassionate voice, the voice of a patient but worried woman. She walked in and sat down on the bed, muttering something under her breath. The candle next the Zelda flickered into life, a tiny flame appearing on the wick. "What happened?"

"I had another nightmare," the girl replied, her body convulsing. "The same one as last night." Her light blonde hair was a tousled mess and the young woman smoothed it soothingly with one hand, the other clenched in her lap. "I can't seem to stop having it."

Impa unclenched her hand, continuing to pet the child's hair. The warm candlelight fell across her tanned skin, illuminating it with a healthy glow. Impa looked to the door, her short, slate-gray ponytail coming into Zelda's field of view. The girl could remember it being much longer, only a year before, a long braid down the caretaker's back just begging to be pulled. Impa turned back to her charge. "Want to tell me about it?"

Zelda explained slowly, a serious expression clouding her features as she struggled to remember every detail in its entirety.

"It sounds like the dream is progressing," Impa said when Zelda had finished. "You seem to see more and more of it every night."

Zelda nodded. "And I've been having this dream every night for the last month." She looked down at her lap, rubbing her hands together nervously. "I think it might be a prophecy."

Impa's hand stopped and fell to rest on the girl's shoulder. "A prophecy?" Impa repeated, her ruby eyes glittering in the light. An unfamiliar emotion clouded them, a mix between concern and amazement.

"Yes," Zelda assured her caretaker, looking hopefully at the woman. "What does it mean?"

Impa was silent for a long moment, overcome with shock that the young princess would think she was seeing a prophecy. Being a Sheikah, Impa knew a lot about prophecies and the workings of the mind. Sheikah possessed great mental powers, among them the ability to prophesize, and Zelda had just described an excellent example of seeing a prophecy in one's dreams. Impa looked back at Zelda with a serious look on her face. Whenever a person had a vision, it was most often only they who could decipher its meaning. The messages of visions focused on not only items one saw, but feelings as well, interlaced within the dream that the recipient cannot always describe to their proper extent.

"What do _you_ think?" Impa asked.

"I don't know." Zelda looked sullen.

"You must have some idea what your dreams mean," Impa reasoned, "otherwise you wouldn't think they were a prophecy."

Zelda fell silent for a moment, working through the dynamics of the dream in her head. "I think something bad is going to happen . . . I keep feeling scared . . . The dark clouds are foreboding, the way they hover over the land . . . like they had some message or warning to give . . ." Zelda scrunched up her face, struggling through the other feelings jumbled up inside her. "Then the light and the man . . . I think they have something to do with the forest they were coming from . . . like they might actually come . . . and the red eyes . . . I'm sure they symbolize evil . . ." Zelda trailed off, putting the pieces together. "The darkness of the clouds and the evil eyes . . . I think they represent Ganondorf . . ."

"Really?" Impa asked with interest. "Why him?"

"He's not a good person," Zelda declared.

"What makes you say that?" asked Impa. She agreed whole-heartedly with the princess, though she had not known of these feelings until this moment. Impa had always sensed some dislike towards Ganondorf on Zelda's part, but never once thought it could be this deep. Zelda had never liked the Gerudo, from the first day she met him, as a very young child of only two, to now. "How is he any different from any of the other knights?"

"He's a liar," Zelda said with such certainty that Impa knew she had been feeling this way for quite some time. "I think I should tell Father about my prophecy in the morning." Impa nodded. "Ganondorf swears truth to Father," Zelda went on, "but I'm sure he's planning something . . . something terrible . . ."

"Such as?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "You don't believe me?" she demanded hotly.

Impa laughed. "Of course I believe you, Zelda. I just want to know if you have any facts to support this feeling of yours. If you're going to present this to your father, you should have some evidence."

"Oh." Zelda looked away, feeling very much like a reprimanded child. "What should I say?"

Impa opened her mouth, but was cut of by a gaping yawn. "I don't know. Why don't we talk about it in the morning, all right? I'm too tired to think right now. I'm going to go back to bed."

"What? You're going?" Zelda's eyes, which had been beginning to droop, suddenly shot wide open. "Don't leave me!"

"What are you afraid of? That the nightmare will come back?" Impa started to rise, but Zelda caught her wrist and clung to it. Her face was white and desperate.

"It will, it will! I know it will!" Her face contorted with fear. "Please," she begged. "Please don't go!"

Impa sighed and sat down on the bed. Sure, she believed that the princess was being completely irrational, but Impa could not help the twinge of worry in the back of her mind. Zelda was not one to be so worked up over nothing, so this nightmare must surely be much worse than she described it to be if she was this frightened. "All right. I'll just stay right here while you go back to sleep." The caretaker took her candle, made her way to the other side of the bed, and sat down. "I won't move until you get up in the morning."

Zelda looked skeptical, but lay down and closed her eyes. Impa blew out the candle and leaned up against the ornate headrest, watching the gentle rise and fall of the young princess's chest. Outside there were no stars and dead air hung over the town.

The Sheikah could remember with perfect clarity the last time such a night had transpired. It had been the night the old king, Clarence, had been stuck down by an assassin. The same night was said to be the one that sparked the Great War. Nights like this often meant cruel twists of fate.

Impa shook the superstitious thoughts out of her head. It was stupid to think anything of any consequence was going to happen that night. The caretaker drifted into sleep, not knowing how wrong she was.

Y -

An hour before dawn, the door to an inn was thrown open, yellow light piercing the night outside. The inn was squeezed tight between two other buildings of similar make—wooden beams, thatched roofs, and a heavy quantity of off-white plaster. The inn had two stories, eight rooms, a kitchen, and a common room. The Three Gems housed the most variety of passersby, from poor paupers to rich lords, and there was almost never a time when more than one room was vacant. The family that ran the inn, a middle-aged couple with six children and a seventh on the way, were a comely bunch and quite charitable. It was not often that they refused someone.

That night, however, was an oddity, for one woman was not welcome. "We'll have none of your sorceress ways here," said the owner, escorting a woman in her late twenties with long jet-black hair politely, but firmly, out the door and onto the street. Her bags were kicked out after and the door slammed closed, cutting off the light. However, the woman had no need for light, for she was completely blind.

With a heavy sigh, the young woman bent down and felt out the locations of her things. From one of the bags she withdrew a silver staff. About five and a half feet tall, the staff was topped with an ornate pearl set directly in the silver and decorated with several sharp symbols. The woman picked up her bags and, holding the staff out in front of her, made her way down the winding streets of the town and into the square.

"Sunrise will be soon," she said to herself as she reached the center fountain, which gushed water to no end in an elaborate pattern arching into the air. The centerpiece was the images of three perfect women, each holding, cupped in their hands, a small triangle. The water sprouted from the tops of their heads and the tips of the triangles. "No more than an hour, I believe."

The square was utterly deserted. Not even the normal company of palace guards paced the streets on the night watch. It was only the blind woman and the fountain with the three goddesses as the Hylian sun slowly peeked over the horizon and climbed into the sky. As soon as she felt its first rays touch her back, the woman stood, gathered her bags, and made her way to the castle. No one told her the way, no one offered to lead here, and there were no sounds for her to follow but she strode along the cobblestone path with the confidence of a person with perfect sight.

Y -

"I'll tell you for the last time, then I'm going to make you leave. The king is not accepting visitors, especially not those he doesn't know, and even less so from someone without formal invitation."

The young woman stood before a pair of castle guards. While she looked completely calm, the men were flustered and red in the face, having spent a considerable amount of the morning attempting to convince one intensely stubborn woman that she was not allowed into the palace.

The blind woman smiled. "I'll explain again for you, since you apparently haven't heard me correctly. I am Havieze of Hylia. I have come to the castle with news regarding a prophecy I am sure of which the King James of Hyrule will be most interested. I am hardly a stranger."

The first guard sighed. "I'm sure, lady. I'll bet you and His Majesty are great friends."

"I would hardly say that," Havieze replied, her grin widening. "He was unconscious the last time I was here."

The guards exchanged looks. Both were convinced that the young woman was not right in the head, but there was no way to make her leave.

"What are you talking about?" the second guard asked, hoping she might become offended and leave.

"You must be too young to remember, but almost ten years ago, when King James of Hyrule was only Crown Prince James, an assassin snuck into the castle and tried to kill the Royal Family. He succeeded in taking down the late King Clarence of Hyrule and struck young James with a fatal blow before the assassin was killed. I arrived a few minutes later and was escorted to James by his wife at the time, the late Princess Liana of Hyrule. The prince was lucky I could save his life. A little later and he would have died in a pool of his father's blood." Through it was a tale of murder and dark intent, the smile never faded from Havieze's face. She seemed to find the matter almost comical. The young woman faced the guards without saying another word, apparently expecting some sort of response. The guards had none to give.

"And the purpose of this tale . . . ?" the first guard offered, hoping to get her to the point.

Havieze crossed her arms, but her jovial countenance never flickered. "If I hadn't been delayed by a pair of guards denying me access to the castle, I would have gotten to James of Hyrule before he lost consciousness, which would have saved me a lot of energy and there would have been far lower risk of death as he was healed."

The guards looked at each other again. The moral of the tale was clear as crystal—by delaying the young woman, they could inadvertently be responsible for a major catastrophe. However, their orders specified that no one without a formal invite be allowed into the castle. Ambassadors from the provinces of the Gerudo far to the west were currently in residence at the palace, but for what reason, the guards had not been told. All they knew was that it was very important and no one was to be disturbed by uninvited guests.

"I'm sorry, lady," said the first guard again, "but we can't let you in."

Havieze crossed her arms defiantly. "Where's your commander? I want to speak with him."

"He's busy."

"No, actually, I'm not."

The two guards turned around to find their commander, a blonde knight in his late thirties with sparkling mahogany eyes and gleaming iron armor, stood a few feet behind them, having just come from the castle. He was smiling at the scene as if it were amusing, though Havieze was not entertained in the least bit.

The guards inclined their heads in respect. "Sir Rommell," they muttered.

Havieze scowled. It was amazing how quickly she had gone from high spirits to a frowning countenance. Sir Rommell looked the blind woman up and down before asking the second guard what was going on.

"This woman demands entrance to the castle," he explained. He whispered something in Sir Rommell's ear.

"I would like to speak with King James of Hyrule," Havieze said again. "I have news regarding something I am quite sure he would be interested in."

"And what might that be?" Rommell asked, starting to agree that Havieze was crazy.

"That," Havieze answered in a sharp voice, "is none of _your _business."

Rommell held up his hands in mock defeat. "I apologize, my lady." He took a short bow. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Havieze's scowl deepened.

"Well, I guess I could let you speak to His Majesty for a few minutes," Rommell declared. "It will be a little while before the ambassadors awake."

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?" whispered the first guard. "She might be an assassin."

"I'll be with her the whole time," Rommell replied. "Besides, do you think I'm _actually _going to take her to see the king?"

"Well?" said Havieze insistently, tapping her staff on the hard-packed earth. "Shall we go?"

"Of course," Rommell said with another bow. "Do you need any help?" he added, noticing her blindness. "A guide or something?"

"No," snapped Havieze, who had taken an instant dislike to the blonde knight. "I can follow you just fine."

"Very well," replied Rommell. He turned back to the castle. "This way."

The two guards stepped aside as Rommell and Havieze passed under the stone arch of the inner wall. Armored men atop the allure looked down at them in confusion, for only the royal guard, known as the Silver Watch, and the Gerudo ambassadors were being let inside the inner wall onto the palace green. Rommell and Havieze made their way up the dirt path to a pair of heavy mahogany doors. Two guards in front saluted smartly when they spotted Rommell coming up shallow granite stairs to where they waited. They stood erect, allowing the knight and Havieze to enter the castle, whose doors had been opened to let in the cool morning air.

The immense marble foyer echoed with the tiny clicks of their shoes on the floor. Straight ahead was a wide staircase covered with a red velvet carpet embroidered with flawless gold thread lining. Two her far left and right opened several high-arched hallways, glittering with blazon decorations of Hylian greatness. Closer to her were multiple smaller doors, leading to what she could only assume were servants' quarters, kitchens, and other workrooms not fit for noble recognition.

"His Majesty, King James, will receive you in the throne room," Rommell told Havieze. "It's just this way . . ." He took her elbow and turned sharply to the left. However, Rommell had gone no more than three steps when a commanding voice from the top of the central staircase called his name.

"Sir Rommell!"

Rommell froze and turned around reluctantly. Descending the carpeted steps was another knight, dressed in the same shining iron armor, a scarlet cloak with three gold bands draped over his broad shoulders. His unruly black hair was tied behind his head in a short ponytail where, from under the unkempt tresses, stern cerulean eyes followed Rommell's every move and he could swear they penetrated the deepest recesses of his soul.

The knight reached the ground floor of the foyer and walked purposefully to where Rommell and Havieze stood. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Who is this woman? Where are you taking her?" The knight glared at Rommell. "You had better have some very good answers."

Rommell swallowed a lump in his throat and bowed in respect. "This woman wishes to see the king. She insisted, saying it was very important, but she wouldn't tell me what about. I was just taking her to meet with His Majesty before the ambassadors wake."

"And His Majesty would be in the dungeons?" the knight asked.

Rommell swallowed again. "Well, you see—"

"Cut the act, Rommell," the knight interrupted. "Why were you taking this woman to the dungeons?"

"She was becoming an annoyance at the inner gate," Rommell said purposefully. "She was warned many times what would happen if she didn't leave."

Havieze snorted. "I was not. No one mentioned imprisonment for trying to see the king of Hyrule."

The knight's glare immediately became more pronounced. "Is that true, Rommell?"

"I don't know," Rommell insisted. "She had been there long before I showed up."

"And she just wanted to see the king? She didn't try to threaten your life?"

Rommell shook his head obediently, muttering something under his breath.

"She could be dangerous?" the knight repeated. He looked at Havieze skeptically before turning back to Rommell. "She doesn't appear potentially harmful to me, but then . . ." the knight's expression began to lighten, "perhaps young women possess supernatural powers. Is that it?"

Rommell blushed. "No."

"Tell me," the knight went on with interest, "how come you wouldn't take her to see His Majesty?"

"No one without special invite is allowed to see King James as long as the Gerudo ambassadors are here."

The knight laughed. "That's not the real reason, is it?"

"It most certainly is," Rommell assured him, his pride hurt by the statement. "Those are my orders."

"Whatever you say. . . ." The knight dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand. "I'll take care of this young woman now. You can return to your post on the allure." He smiled. "There might be some little children threatening the gate guards this very moment."

Rommell's face turned downright crimson. His pride severely crushed, the blonde wished nothing more than to retort with a string of offenses to the blue-eyed knight, but he knew better than to challenge a superior. Muttering under his breath, Rommell turned and stalked out the open doors onto the palace common.

After watching Rommell disappear, the knight turned back to Havieze with a wide smile on his face. "Forgive him, my lady," the knight said with a small bow. "As you can see, Sir Rommell is a bit of a fool."

"No, I can't."

The knight looked slightly taken aback by the statement. "Excuse me?"

Havieze grinned. "I can't see him."

The knight met her gaze and realized she was blind. "Oh, forgive me, my lady." He bowed again.

"Don't worry yourself," Havieze insisted.

"May I have your name please, my lady?"

"I am Havieze of Hylia," Havieze told him.

"Ah, my name is Sir Talmar," the knight replied. "It is a pleasure."

"I'm sure it is," said Havieze, "but I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries. I would like to speak with King James, if I may."

"I'm afraid he's occupied in the Great Hall, hosting breakfast for the ambassadors," Sir Talmar explained.

"Then I'll speak to his wife."

"The Princess Liana passed away nine years ago," Talmar informed the young woman.

"I know," said Havieze. "I assumed King James would have remarried by now to give his charming daughter a mother."

"I'm afraid not," Talmar replied, "but the princess is well cared for in the hands of her attendant."

"Of course, the Sheikah girl, Impa of Kakariko. How could I forget?" Havieze added with a smile. "Seeing as the father is occupied, might I see the princess?"

Talmar hesitated. "What do you wish to tell her? I would be more than willing to deliver the message."

Havieze smiled, adjusting her grip on her staff. "You're the brother of the late Master Sir Garret, aren't you? Talmar of Chastrion?"

"What?" Talmar looked shocked. "How do you know?"

The smile widened. "I can See it."

"See it?" Talmar repeated. "How?"

"Through the world of visions I can see the world of men," Havieze explained. "I can prove it. I've never met you before, nor heard about you, but I know what you look like." She closed her eyes and gripped her staff tightly with both hands. "You have blue eyes and black hair. Your armor is well kept and your face portrays a look of amazement." She opened her eyes. Talmar gaped at her.

"How . . .?" he began, "how can you . . .?"

"I'm a prophetess." Havieze's visage became serious immediately as she remembered her task. "I am here to deliver news of happenings disturbing _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_, an ancient prophecy that has just recently come into play. It is important that I speak to a member of the Silver Legacy as soon as possible." Talmar nodded quickly. Havieze gave him a studying look. "You look confused."

"I shouldn't be surprised if I do," said the knight, still not understanding how she could know. "I've never heard of this prophecy before. If I were Rommell, I'd say it was a load of swill."

"But you aren't," Havieze pointed out. "You are Talmar of Chastrion and I know you believe in visions and prophecies." Havieze closed her eyes again and Talmar felt a tingling at the back of his mind. "Your late sister-in-law, the Lady Coquina, if I'm not mistaken, visioned the day of Princess Zelda's christening."

Talmar was silent.

"She was right beside you when it happened," Havieze went on. "Would you care to know what she saw?" The prophetess did not wait for his answer. "She foresaw the hand the Goddesses dealt her." Havieze whipped a card out of nowhere. "La Morte, the Death card."

Talmar's face contorted, remembering what had happened at the christening. It was a hot day to hold a christening, a day in the middle of August. Not a good time for Coquina, who had been having trouble since giving birth, and was not well suited for the heat. By the middle of the ceremony, she looked as thought she were about to faint. . . .

"And as the priest proclaimed the greatness of Farore," Havieze continued, reading the thoughts from his mind. "Emerald mists fogged the lady's sight when the vision appeared before her. Storming weather, the galloping of horses' hooves, confusion, and total fear. . . ."

Havieze paused. "These feelings she saw before she experienced." The prophetess gazed intently at Talmar. "You felt them too, did you not? These were the objects of the Great War, and you know the Great War well. . . ."

Talmar closed his eyes in torment, hoping the prophetess would be gone when he opened them again. Her words stirred up long repressed memories in the knight's mind; memories he had struggled so hard to silence since the war. What right did this Havieze of Hylia have to remind him of those events? What right did she have to pry into his mind so?

"You're right, I should not have trespassed on your memories," the blind woman said. "I ask your forgiveness and promise I shall not Read any further."

The knight opened his eyes to find Havieze still before him. "I forgive you."

Havieze bowed her head. "I only wanted to prove to you that my power was real, but I realize now that I got carried away. I understand now how hard it has been for you since the war."

"Do you still wish to speak with Princess Zelda?" Talmar interjected intentionally.

Havieze, slightly shocked by Talmar's sudden change of character, quickly discovered that there was more to his feelings about the Great War than she had first Read. However, respecting the resolution she made not the trespass in his mind, Havieze kept this knowledge to herself.

"Yes, I would, if you do not mind."

"I don't."

Without another word, Talmar led the blind prophetess to the grand central staircase and deeper into the castle. The knight was silent as they went, saying nothing to Havieze and not giving the slightest clue to what was on his mind. Havieze resisted the urge to Look for herself and followed without comment.

Old memories of Coquina and Garret flooded Talmar's mind. One deep winter at Chastrion manor, three years before the assassination of King Clarence, when he and Garret had been on their way to the stables, Coquina had appeared out of nowhere and pelted them with snowballs. Another year, while Garret had been summoned to the town of Hyrule, Talmar taught a reluctant Coquina how to swim.

After the Great War, it was weeks before he received news of Garret's death. Coquina, whose body was never found, was assumed to be merely missing. For three years, Talmar waited for her, imagining her walking up the familiar path to the city of Chastrion with a band of refugees, helping along her young son, whom he was sure would be the image of Garret when he was grown. However, though the refugees came, Coquina was never with them. Years passed and Talmar accepted that she was dead. Without any hopes of his family to return, Chastrion manor soon became a prison. So many memories of better times were preserved within its walls, memories that could never be repeated.

Eventually Talmar could stand the memories no more and turned over lordship to a friend, leaving his home to live in Hyrule, the city that had grown up around the castle. There, he lost himself to a life devoted to serving James and rebuilding the court. Coquina, Garret, and Chastrion faded from mind, though the void in his heart where they had been never filled. Their smiling faces replaced the stone walls of the castle, their laughter the sound of his boots, their happiness his despair. Hot tears stung Talmar's eyes as he walked, but he brushed them away. He had shed all the tears he had long ago. Relishing in them only prolonged the pain, pain he so strenuously hushed.

_The Master of the Knights of Hyrule, the Lady of Chastrion, and son whose name he has lost to the whims of time, _Havieze thought to herself as she followed Talmar. _They haunt his every turn, a repeating voice telling him they're there. He thinks if he does not believe it, it won't be real, like waking from a dream. __But this is not a dream, it is reality. He may not be able to accept it, but his family died because _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _was about to begin. He does not believe in fate, as I would expect. Fate did not kill Coquina and Garret, did it, Talmar?_

Talmar took no notice that she was thinking of him.

_And i__t's not only _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _that shall come into effect soon. _Havieze smiled. "Sir Talmar?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Have you heard many prophecies?" asked the prophetess.

"A few."

"What about _Tirrnodi Ltus Seite_?"

"No."

"Relic of past times doth stand woe unto alternation and site thus morte whose message doth reject. Emerald miles shalt bleed unto the hollow in he whose perdition claim all. Hidden ist what was gone but now ist not, forgotten but now remembered. Exempt doth the circumstances from why vanished, relish inamorata."

"What does it mean?" Talmar could not hide the shadow of intrigue.

Havieze grinned. "_Tirrnodi Ltus Seite naemis tau llwae dfen htaww tau ltus._" She stopped, facing a pair of ornately carved wooden doors. "This is the princess's suite, is it not?"

"Yes," said Talmar. He faced the prophetess with a studying look on his face. "What was all that you just said?"

"The lost language," Havieze informed him. "Ancient Hylian."

"You can speak it?" Talmar's amazement became evident. "But that's a dead tongue. No one speaks it anymore. It hasn't been actively used since the time of the Hylia . . ." He trailed off. Talmar looked up and found himself staring into the unseeing eyes off the prophetess. _Havieze of Hylia . . . ?_

Havieze smiled mysteriously.

Y -


	12. Chapter Eleven: Hyrule

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Eleven: Hyrule**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

Elsewhere in Hyrule at that hour before dawn, several branches high above the ground in a tall, sturdy maple wobbled and rustled. This, to anyone who might have seen, would look odd, for there was no gust of wind disturbing the trees and only the maple had been upset. Were they to wait a little longer and a muffled "oomph!" followed by a series of loud crashes would have been heard, along with a small boy in green falling to the forest floor with a thud.

Grumbling, Link stood and stretched, straightening all the cramped limbs that were bent from sleeping among the tree branches. As he did so, Navi fluttered down slowly, her cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment. Link glowered at her for a moment before moving to pick up his things were they had fallen after.

"Link, I'm sorry!" she suddenly burst out. "But there was this hawk and—" The look on his face told her to just shut up and drop it.

The fairy awoke to a loud chirping in her ear, which took her a moment to realize was only a songbird. She was about to settle back into sleep when a horrible screeching cry of a bird predator sounded overhead. This, Navi instantly realized, was a hawk and she was terrified. Hawks preyed on fairies, despite their great magical powers. In a desperate voice, the air shimmering with her urgency, she darted about Link's head, begging him to awaken. Upon doing so, she so surprised him that he tried to back away, forgetting that they were in a tree, and toppled to the ground.

"Well, I guess we might as well start out," she announced optimistically.

They had walked for several hours the previous night until Link complained from aching feet and legs. Remembering Saria's warning of the possible threat of the other Kokiri children, they spent the night up in a tree, just in case pursuers found where they stopped. Navi guessed that they were still an hour or so from the forest's border. So, hoping that Link would cheer up later in the day, she started ahead. Link followed silently after.

As the trees began to thin, Navi could see the sky starting to lighten. It slowly faded from deep black to cool cobalt. The air was still breezy and a slight chill seeped among the trees. Link shivered a little as the sky turned to a mix of pale pinks and yellowy oranges, pastel colors of a summer sunrise. Almost half an hour later, when the sun's first rays were just beginning to shine through the trees, they reached the edge of the forest.

Link stopped. _A few more steps and I'll be out in the world. _He looked around slowly. Past the bounds of the last trees, Link could see long, rolling hills blanketed in tall golden grass, completely unlike the spongy forest floor. A few wind-ragged, slightly stunted trees stood above the ground, but they looked tired, as though they struggled to survive this open world. Everything was drenched in the morning sunrise and the affect nearly took his breath away. _No one ever said the world was so beautiful . . . not even Saria . . . _

Navi lightly alit on his right shoulder. "This is it," she said. "That out there is Hyrule."

_Hyrule . . . _Link's heart began to pound. _Hyrule . . . _The word came to him with ease and it sounded natural, unlike 'castle' or 'princess'. Something about Hyrule . . . The boy shook the thought from his head.

"No turning back now," Navi added as Link looked back over his shoulder. Behind him, tall emerald trees rose up amongst each other, majestic giants clustered with thick underbrush and thickets of forest creatures. Ahead were the gentle slopes of the flat ground that was Hyrule, so alien yet somehow so familiar.

He drew in a sharp breath as he remembered a story in the forest; if a Kokiri were to step outside the forest, they would die. Although Saria has assured him that this had been something Mido made up to keep the Kokiri from ever trying to leave, he was still doubtful. After all, what did any of them really know about the world?

Link forced the thoughts from his mind. _Just get going, _he told himself in their place. _Just put one foot out and take the next step. It's no different from the last one you took. Nothing bad is going to happen outside the forest. Nothing at all. _

_But what if something does? _As smaller, more timid, voice asked.

_Nothing will. _He told it firmly. Despite such assurances, the doubt remained and there was nothing he could do to free himself from it—until he took the step and found out.

_You'll be fine. Nothing bad is gonna happen. _Repeating these words over in his head, Link closed his eyes and took a step.

Nothing happened.

He took another. And another. Still nothing happened. No bolts of lightning zapped him from high above, no monsters leapt from oblivion to crush him, nothing. Link walked on. What had he been so afraid of? This wasn't so bad. There really _was _nothing to be afraid of.

"Link!" Navi suddenly cried. "Link, watch out—"

_CRACK. _Something very solid and very hard smacked him right in the face. Link opened his eyes to find, to his embarrassment, that he had walked right into the branch of one of the scraggly trees. Feeling stupid, Link backed away, rubbing a stinging mark it had left on his forehead.

"Try walking with your eyes open," Navi jeered sarcastically. "I hear it works better that way."

Link flicked her off his shoulder with a free hand, sending the little blue orb tumbling away. It returned in a huff, settling down on the top of his head were it might be out of range. Link ignored Navi and continued along in silence. It was a strange feeling wading through the tall grass, which rippled like a forest brook whenever a breath of wind disturbed it. Though it had looked, from afar, to be soft and comfortable, the blades were, in reality, quite rough and Link's legs were quickly covered in tiny scratches.

Other than the hills of grass and the occasional tree, there was not much to Hyrule. Very little scenery was worth looking at and what was there did not turn out to be what Link expected. The walk was long, dull, and dusty. The sun had barely risen above the horizon by the time Link's throat was dry.

"How much further?" he whined to Navi a few hours later.

The bright Hylian sun was beating down on them with intensity neither had ever even dreamed possible. Navi could nearly swear she saw heat waves rising off each hill. Summertime in Hyrule was obviously a scorching, sweltering season, unlike its pleasant counterpart in the forest. Neither Kokiri nor fairy, who had never been though such heat, felt like they could take much more of it.

And for Navi, the heat was putting her in an especially sour mood. "How should I know? Do you see any 'castles' anywhere?"

"I don't even know what a 'castle' looks like," Link retorted. "Maybe we walked right by one and didn't even notice."

"All I've seen since we got out here are grass and trees!" Navi snapped. "I haven't seen anything I don't recognize."

"Well ex_cuse _me."

Navi crossed her arms in frustration. The ambling pace continued on, scaling hill by hill, with what seemed like pointless suffering and fruitless results.

Y -

Inside the princess's royal suit, the morning sun illuminated the heavy curtains drawn over the windows, pouring through their heavy fabric and turning them a glowing burgundy. The room was peaceful and quiet, both occupants sleeping dreamlessly.

A loud knock on the doors, however, startled them into wakefulness and the comfortable morn became no more. With a heavy sigh, Impa, draped in a heavy dark azure robe, strode to the doors and pulled one open. Outside staring in were two figures, a man in shining Hylian armor, and a blind, raven-haired woman carrying a silver staff.

"I beg your pardon, lady," the knight said, bowing graciously, "to awaken you so early, but I bring a visitor for the princess."

Impa looked expectantly at the woman an asked, "And you are . . .?"

"Havieze of Hylia," she replied with a small smile. "I am a prophetess and I have certain matters to discuss with a member of the royal family. Might I come in?"

Impa, slightly surprised by the woman's obviously lacking knowledge of proper palace etiquette, opened the door a little wider and allowing the knight and Havieze to enter.

Zelda was sitting up in her bed, rubbing her eyes, when the visitors came in. She looked curiously at the knight, and then turned in confusion to the lady, then finally back to Impa. The caretaker closed the door and moved around to Zelda's side.

"If you do not mind, my lady, perhaps we can have this conversation later, when the princess is properly awake," Impa addressed the young woman in a polite but firm tone. Havieze, however, was not the least bit intimidated.

"I'm afraid that this is something that cannot wait," she answered with a curtsy in Zelda's direction.

Behind her, the knight was slowly backing away in a half-bow. "My ladies," he addressed respectfully as a way of announcing that he was leaving, "princess."

"Sir Talmar, if you please," Impa began, stopping him. "I would like for you to stay."

Talmar bowed again. "As you wish, lady." He moved away from the door and stood quietly off to the side. Havieze, at Impa's invitation, settled herself in a plush chair across from the bed.

"Now, if you can," said Impa, "tell us what this is all about."

"Ah, right to business as always, Lady Impa," Havieze replied. "Well, as this is not a social calling, I should expect so." She cleared her voice. "You may or may not be aware of this, but an ancient prophecy's events have begun to show and I, being a prophetess, am concerned. The prophecy is one _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_, a very haunting prophecy indeed. A few others are coming into play, but on in response to the events of _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_."

Impa, Zelda, and Talmar looked on varying intensities of confusion.

"Do you think, perhaps," Zelda asked slowly, "that you could explain? I'm afraid I don't know much about any _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_."

Havieze, smiling again, recited the prophecy. "Tradition, in the place where it is strongest, has been broken, by an element of the Outside, Hyrule. A society where Tradition has been undisturbed for all of existence, whose seclusion is so fierce little is known about them, became, shall we say, tainted, by the element of the Outside. At that moment, a portion of _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_, that which reads as 'When the way and tie of Tradition art encountered by the mysterious of the Outside', became no longer a foretelling, but an actual event, thus setting the prophecy into motion.

"After that time, however, a short interim was foretold and so has such nine years come to pass and the prophecy to be active again. This is why I have come to you, for bad things are said to begin. 'and the nine year interim hath passed, a time of Darkness shalt begin.'"

"'A time of Darkness'?" Impa repeated. "What do you mean?"

"A great and terrible evil will spread throughout the land, bringing terror and suffering as you cannot even begin to imagine."

Zelda felt shaky at the thought. _The clouds were product of some evil . . . No, they were pure evil—the essence of evil itself. Their presence over her head filled her with the most awesome fear, consuming all of her and leaving her to feel helpless. It felt as though nothing could beat this terrible evil. There was nothing in existence in this entire world that could do so . . ._ The dream was still so vivid in her mind. Every time she thought of it, every time some essence of it touched her consciousness, her heart sped up and she had to draw in deep breaths to keep herself from losing control.

Havieze, who had been describing the evil, stopped short. "Your Majesty?" she asked. "Something troubles you, does it not?"

Zelda shook herself. "I beg your pardon?"

"Is this a dream you have been having? These dark clouds—the essence of evil which fill you with a most great fear whenever you think of them," Havieze went on. "They so trouble you, I feel."

Zelda was shocked. _Can she read my mind?_ She wondered.

_(For certain, Zelda of Hyrule.)_

"What?" Zelda suddenly screamed.

"Zelda? Is something wrong?" Impa asked concernedly. "What happened?"

Zelda looked at Havieze, who smiled. "N-nothing. Please go on."

"Fair princess, will you tell me about your dream?" Havieze queried lightly, as if they were discussing nothing more important than the weather.

Zelda was silent for a moment, looking to Impa for advice. The caretaker shrugged. _She's a lot of help_, Zelda thought to herself cynically, before suddenly remembering that Havieze could hear her thoughts. Quickly, she closed them away and focused on explaining every detail of her vision-dream to the prophetess.

At the end of it all, Havieze sat with what looked like amusement on her face. "So you too have inherited the Silver Legacy's powers." The Hylian Royal Family, known also as the Silver Legacy, possessed strange, inherent powers, powers of premonition and vision, which had ceased to be common with the downfall of the Hylia.

Zelda studied the mysterious young woman before her. Something in her aura screamed unnatural, but the princess could not quite pinpoint it. What was it about this Havieze that made her feel so? "So what does it all mean?" Zelda asked, ignoring her growing suspicions.

"You vision says similar to what _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_ foretells—that a great evil will arise. But you See that someone or something else will rise to meet it," Havieze explained. "This light from the forest, it is strongly entwined with _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_."

"Can't you make it any more clear than that?" Zelda's voice was beginning to sound desperate.

Havieze shook her head. _(This is something you must work out on your own, Zelda of Hyrule. Only a fool would try to foretell Fate clearly. Such an action could lead to great disaster. One does not tamper with Fate.)_ The woman directed her thoughts at Zelda, whom she could sense had a very strongly developed power of telepathy.

Zelda noticed the thought, though not purposefully, and was even more confused. What did all this mean? How was clarifying a prophecy affecting Fate? And how, in what way, was her dream connected to this _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_?

Y -

In another part of Hyrule all together, Link sat panting under the shade of a small tree. He had just crested the top of another rise, sweat running in streams down his face, nearly panting with heat and exhaustion. Navi had since darted under his cap, where it was shaded from the sun. Behind him was a crumpled trail of bent grass leading back into the distance and eventually to the forest.

"I'm tired," he complained to Navi again. The fairy sighed, having lost track of how many times her partner had stated this.

"We're probably almost there," she replied. "Just over that next hill."

"That's what you said when I started this hill," Link muttered bitterly under his breath. He was about to add that he was thirsty and would they ever find a stream when a distant sound wafted into hearing. It was a sound he recognized from the forest, when strange creatures from Hyrule would wander into the Lost Woods and cry pitifully for help. The sound was a horse's whinny.

Y -


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Road to the Castle

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Twelve: The Road to the Castle**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

"Did you hear that?" Link asked. He cupped one hand around his ear, trying to hear the sound more clearly.

"Hear what?" Navi asked, poking her head out from under his hat, where she had taken to hiding that day to escape the beating sun they were so unaccustomed to in the forest.

"That . . . sound . . ." he replied vaguely, trying to listen. Multitasking was not Link's strong suit and it was difficult enough for him just to hear the sound, much less try to explain what it was at the same time.

"Link, all I can hear is your heavy breathing!" snapped the fairy. She zipped out from under his hat and hovered a foot from his nose. Link had to go somewhat cross-eyed to see her clearly. "What're you listening for?"

"I think I hear a horse," he answered, hardly noting her words. He was rising slowly from his seat beneath the stunted tree, his eyes searching the bare hills surrounding them for the source of the whinny. "It sounds like it's close by."

"A horse? So what?" Navi failed to see the Kokiri's interest with the animal and she was beginning to get frustrated with their argument. "It's just another creature, big deal. I thought we were looking for the castle."

"Hylians are supposed to ride horses," Link tried to explain, brushing himself off, but his point was not as definitive as he wanted it to be. "If we find one, maybe we can ask directions."

Navi looked cross and doubtful. "Sure, whatever you want." With that, she darted irately back under his hat.

_Fairies and sun obviously don't mix, _Link thought to himself sourly as he started in the direction of the whinny. It was a long and tentative going; Link found himself forced to stop multiple times to listen in order to be sure he was traveling in the right direction. The sun was still bright in the sky but slowly moving down toward the western horizon, conveniently right in Link's eyes. The blinding rays made it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead of where he was going, so he was constantly stopping to hold a hand to his forehead and check his progress.

Before too long, however, he began to hear a noise more constant than the sporadic horse's whinny, the sound of someone singing. From far away, Link had difficulty hearing the words, but as he came closer to the source, they became fairly to make out.

_"E tsoj acn't hlip afleng en vue weth tau,  
__Ssewi neim ays,  
__Ulny lufus shro en,  
__Tob e acn't hlip afleng en vue weth tau,_

_"Aishle e yast,  
__Duowl te ib a nes,  
__Fe e acn't hlip afleng en vue weth tau,_

_"Keil a veirre lwfus,  
__De hith sai,  
__Us te uugs,  
__Co htegns rai tnaem de ib,  
__Co htegns rai tnaem de ib,_

_"Atki aym adneh,  
__Atki aym hwuil lef uut,  
__Qua e acn't hlip afleng en vue weth tau,  
__Afleng en vue weth tau . . ."_

It was a pleasant tune, a dancing, joyful, outdoors-type tune. The way the rhythm, the words, and the scale flowed over him gave Link the feeling of tall grassy plains and wide stretches of nothing but peaceful lands. Maybe it was just seeing Hyrule while he was hearing the song, but he felt it truly sang the essence of the open field. In a way, it reminded Link of a Hylian version of Saria's song, by the way made him feel.

"What's that music?" Navi called from her hiding place.

"I don't know."

The sound of the music was clear now and, amidst the tall strands of grass, Link could see several large shapes silhouetted by the sun. Squinting, he shaded his eyes and came closer.

The grass abruptly ended some few feet away and Link found himself standing on hard packed dirt, like a forest trail, only much wider. In the middle of the path was a large wooden box-like object with three wheels attached to the corners. The front right corner had no wheel and it dug sharply into the dirt. Piled inside the box-with-wheels were many smaller boxes covered with strange symbols.

Hitched to what Link took as the front of the box were two tired looking russet mares, the horses he had heard neighing, hanging their heads and searching the ground for a rare shoot of grass. Tied at the back was another big horse, this one black, and a small chestnut filly, both looking full of energy and ready to be moving. By the state of the wheels, it did not look like the wooden object was going to be moving anywhere anytime soon.

"Hey there!" called a voice from atop the pile of crates. "Who're you?"

A small figure climbed nimbly down and came over to him, moving out of the sun. The person who called to Link was young girl, a little smaller than he, about the size of a Kokiri girl named Rayti. This girl had bright mahogany hair that, when the sun's rays hit it directly, the way it was at that moment, turned a blazing copper. She had periwinkle blue eyes that were wide and curious, and a face that had never known the need to hide its emotions.

The little girl examined Link from top to bottom with an utterly confused look on her face, her forehead constricted and one eyebrow up. Link did not even have a chance to answer her question when she spoke again. "You're clothes are really weird," she stated blatantly in a high, twinkling voice, a sound like breaking porcelain, but in a somewhat pleasant way. "I've never seen anything like them before. Not anywhere. Not in Kakariko, not in Faykousni, not in Tyrandora, not even at the castle market!"

She walked around Link in an investigative circle, the boy trying to watch her as best he could. "You're not from around here, are you?" She stopped and put her hands on her hips, her chin jutting out in a frown. "Who are you, anyway?" she demanded.

"My name's Link," Link told her, feeling somewhat lost. How did she change moods so fast?

Navi peeked out from under Link's hat, catching the girl's attention. Her scowl instantly became an amazed gasp. "Wow, a fairy! You have a fairy! Then you must be one of those fairy boys from the forest!" She clutched her hands together in awe as Navi, realizing someone was admiring her, crawled onto Link's head and stood up, glowing brightly for show.

The girl smiled and turned back to Link, holding out a hand. "I'm Malon!" she declared brightly.

Link looked dumbfounded at the hand. Malon watched him expectantly. _What am I supposed to be doing? _Link wondered. After a moment, Malon reached out and grabbed one of his hands, then shook the two up and down in a vigorous motion and let go. Link was left to stare foolishly at her as the little girl giggled madly.

"You're really strange, Fairy Boy," she said.

Link confused look caused Malon to laugh harder, so hard it caught someone else's attention.

"Malon?" called a burly voice from the other side of the box-object.

"Dad!" Malon turned around. "Dad, there's a fairy boy here!"

From around the other side of the box came another person, a big, round bear of a man with patched denim overalls and a red shirt. His face was as round as his stomach and his expressions open, like Malon's, with no hair on his head yet very much on his face.

"A what?" the big man asked as he came over to Malon.

"A fairy boy!" sheproclaimed excitedly. "From the forest!"

The man looked down at Link. The little Kokiri took a step back, staring up at him in awe. The only big person Link had ever seen was the Gerudo from his dream who came to the forest, but he was so much different from this person. It was hard to believe they were both real when they had polar characteristics of the other.

"He's not dangerous, Dad," Malon was saying. "He just walked onto the road from over there." She pointed to the path Link had made through the grass.

The man turned back to his daughter, who beamed at him, showing all her confidence in Link's good character, and smiled, his thick brown mustache bristling. "My name's Talon," he said and held out his hand to Link.

This time Link grabbed it and shook it, the way Malon had his. Talon laughed. "What's a little guy like you doing all the way out here? I thought you fairy folk didn't leave the forest."

"I'm, uh, going to the castle to see the Princess of Destiny," Link answered. Though he did not think Malon and Talon held any intention of harming him, Link was reluctant to tell them of his quest. Something in the way the Great Deku Tree had stressed the urgency of its task left Link with the feeling that it was an important secret. But what else could he say?

Malon and Talon, rather than look threatening as Link almost expected, seemed confused.

"Princess of Destiny?" asked Malon. "Don't you mean Princess Zelda?"

"Who?"

"The Princess of Hyrule, silly!" she said with a giggle. "She's the one who lives in the castle. Say, we're going to the castle town to sell milk. Do you want a ride, Fairy Boy?"

"Malon—" started Talon.

The little girl looked up at him, her eyes wide and pleading. "Oh please, Dad, can we take him with us? I'm so bored just riding in the wagon and I want somebody to play with. Besides, he's going the same way and it's a long walk to Hyrule from here."

Talon looked unsure. "I'll think about it," he finally said, "but unless I get that wheel fixed, we aren't going anywhere."

"Oh, thank you!" Malon's face lit up in a smile and she hugged his waist tightly.

Talon's stern façade melted away into a goofy smile as he gently pulled her away and went back around the wagon, mumbling something about "getting back to work."

Y -

The prophetess Havieze of Hylia finally left Zelda's bedroom just after midday. For a long time she explained to the young princess the events of _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _as they had occurred up to that point. Unfortunately, the explanations left more Zelda with more questions than answers about prophecy and her dream than ever, not to mention that she was thoroughly confused most of the conversation. So many questions rolled around in her mind that she didn't even know how to ask them all. The ones she did pose, however, Havieze answered only with a riddle "find the old scripts and surely you shall find what you seek" rather than explain plain out.

Frustrated as she was with the prophetess's mysterious character and shifty answers, Zelda kept herself well composed, as she had been taught during her etiquette lessons. It could mean bad things to upset a prophetess, especially one so strange and probably powerful as Havieze.

When Sir Talmar at last escorted the woman away, Zelda fell back onto her bed with a tremendous sigh. "My head hurts," she complained to Impa. "That woman talked too much."

"And said very little," Impa agreed, "but what I heard sounded very important. Did you listen carefully to what she said?"

"Yes."

"Good. You will have to tell your father about her as soon as you can." Impa looked serious. "I have a feeling he would very much like to know about this meeting."

"How come?" Zelda sat up and looked over at her caretaker seated in a plush chair on the opposite side of the room beside a cold fireplace.

Impa did not answer. Havieze of Hylia . . . that name was so familiar. The caretaker could remember years ago, on the night James's father was assassinated, when the castle received a visit from a blonde healer of the same name. Then there was a time before this, before Impa had even been in residence at the castle, on the day of Zelda's birth when her mother, Liana, met with a blind brunette claiming the same name and clairvoyance powers as Havieze had proved to possess today. _Even if all three of them _are_ the same woman, the first two meetings happened over ten years ago. Surely this Havieze would have aged some noticeable amount since then. Today she still looked only twenty, just like when I saw her heal James the night Clarence was killed . . . _

"Impa?"

Zelda's voice brought the Sheikah out of her reverie. Impa gave her head a little shake and turned back to her charge.

"Do you remember what I told you about the night your grandfather died?"

Impa had explained the concept of assassination to the young princess several years earlier. Though her father had expressed his esteemed wishes that Zelda not be told until she was much older, Impa reasoned that it would be better for her to learn early and grow used to the idea than grow up wondering about her grandfather's death.

"Yes." Zelda had heard all the details, from the assassin's sudden leap from the shadows, to his arrows striking Clarence and James, to the knight who had put his own life in jeopardy to stop him.

"Your father would have died if it weren't for a healer who arrived at the castle that same night. She saved him, I don't know how, but your father lived because of her magic." Impa paused. "She said her name was Havieze of Hylia."

"How is that possible?" Zelda asked in shock.

"I don't know," Impa replied, mostly to herself. "I saw her today and she looked exactly how I remember her from that night. Except that her hair was blonde then . . ." Impa trailed off. "Well, it's of no consequence. It's high time that _you _dressed for the day."

Zelda groaned. "Can't you just tell me more about the prophetess? I don't want to go to lessons today."

"It's your duty, Zelda," said Impa, ignoring her request. Filled with purpose, Impa walked swiftly around the bed to the door. "I'm going to go find someone to bring up a hot bath, then I'll be back to get you some clothes for today."

As the door opened and closed again, Zelda squinted her eyes shut and clenched her hands into fists in frustrated exasperation. _Why does she always have to be so stuffy when something interesting happens? _She asked herself as she opened her eyes again and relaxed her body. _Impa doesn't know anything about having fun. All she knows are rules and etiquette and proper behavior! _

Zelda hopped off the bed and threw open the heavy drapes over her windows. Leaning on her elbows on the sill, the young princess looked out over the busy town of Hyrule spreading out below her. Beyond the Inner Wall, in which stood the magnificent Hyrule Castle, were clusters of mediocre wood-and-plaster dwellings in which the common folk lived. In the town square stood a fountain billowing crystal water, and brightly colored merchants' stalls attracted bustling crowds of people with all varieties of wares. Beyond this was the high Outer Wall, encircling and protecting the city from whatever threat might invade.

_Everyone down there must be having a lot of fun. Since the ambassadors arrived, there've been parties every night. Everybody's celebrating this treaty and it's such a good thing for Hyrule, so why do I feel so unsure? It's a good thing, this alliance with the Gerudo, but still . . . something about it just isn't right._

There was a knock on the door and Impa entered, two servants carrying a heavy tub brimming with steaming water followed after. Reluctantly, Zelda wandered away from the window and left herself in the grooming care of her nurse.

Y -

". . . And we had to wait for _hours _until the guy came back, but when he did, he told us he didn't have any money after all. Dad was so angry!"

Link and Malon were seated in the grass just off the road beneath the shade of a leafy tree. The farm girl was in the middle of a long, involved monologue telling Link about her father's latest trade with a merchant in a town called Tyrandora. It was a slow process, since she had to stop every now and again to explain things to Link, whose confused looks tipped her off that he knew very little about things in Hyrule.

"The guy got really, really scared when Dad got angry, so he said he'd give us something else instead. Then he brought out Epona—" Malon pointed to the chestnut-and-white pony tethered to the back of the wagon, "—and said we could have her, free of charge. Dad didn't want her at first, but I convinced him. Isn't she so cute?"

Epona yanked her rope and whinnied pitifully.

"Yeah," Link agreed. He was leaning against the tree chewing on a piece of bread Malon had given him. "But she doesn't look very happy tied up like that. Why don't you let her go?"

Malon looked appalled. "But then she might run away! I want Epona to stay with me forever."

Epona neighed again.

"You could at least give her something to eat," he suggested instead. "She sounds like she's hungry."

This cheered Malon up considerably. "Okay!" With boundless energy, she leapt to her feet and rushed back to the wagon to find some grain.

Link gave a tired sigh as Navi peeked out from her hiding place under Link's hat. "Is she gone?"

"Yeah."

The fairy crawled the rest of the way out. "Finally! I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever shut up."

"That's not very nice," Link commented.

Navi shot him a look. "Maybe you enjoy pointless rambling but I find it a bit, well, pointless. The girl just didn't have anything useful to say."

"I learned some useful stuff," said the boy. "This place we've been walking around all day is a field, we're about a day and a half from a town called Hyrule and that's where we'll find Princess Zelda."

"We didn't learn," Navi countered, "whether or not Princess Zelda and the Princess of Destiny are the same person, why there is a town called Hyrule and a country called Hyrule and yet they aren't the same place, _or _why Malon keeps calling Talon 'Dad'."

She had him there. Link had asked Malon why she called Talon Dad instead of just using his name. Malon looked at him as if he was crazy and answered that you just don't call your parents by their names, you call them Mom and Dad. Link asked what parents were, but Malon couldn't quite answer. She just kept saying, "They're your mother and father. Don't you have some, Fairy Boy?" Link had not been able to explain that, in the forest, there were no 'mothers' and 'fathers', just brothers, sisters, and other Kokiri. Both children were thoroughly confused after that and did not press the subject further.

"But who cares about all that," Navi went on, "when we're still a long way from the castle. We should just ask for directions and walk there on our own. We'll probably get there a lot faster than if we wait for Talon to fix his wheel."

Link groaned. "I don't wanna walk anymore. Besides, what if we get lost? Who knows how big this field place really is. It could go on forever."

"But at least we wouldn't have to put up with Miss-Incessant-Jabber."

Navi had a very good point, Link realized. Despite the fact that he did not like to think ill of Malon, considering she had fed him and answered many of his questions, she still ended up being more of a pest than a help.

"All right,"Link finally agreed, "we'll go on by ourselves."

However, just as he was getting up to ask Malon for directions to Hyrule, Talon's voice boomed over the other side of the wagon, "I've got it! It's fixed!"

He rushed excitedly around to where Malon stood tending Epona. Clutched in his hands was a big wooden wheel exactly like the three others already on the wagon, save that this one was fitted in several places with different colored wood, obviously product of repair, which Talon had been working on since Link found the wagon.

Malon smiled and hugged her father. "Does this mean we can get going?"

"As soon as I put this wheel back on its axel," Talon answered, beaming.

Malon rushed over to Link, her face flushed with giddy excitement. Talon bent over the corner of the wagon where there was no wheel and began to attach it. "This is great, Fairy Boy! We can get going when Dad puts the wheel back on! Won't that be great?"

Link forced a smile. "Yeah, wonderful."

The farm girl gave him a quick hug before skipping off again, singing her song at the top of her lungs.

"It's going to be a long couple days," said Navi pessimistically.

Y -

At the castle, Zelda was finally clean and dressed for the day only to find that her History of Hyrule tutor has suddenly taken ill with a stomach sickness.

"I'm afraid your lessons have been cancelled for the day," Impa concluded upon giving Zelda the news. "None of your other tutors are feeling in top form today either." She gave Zelda a suspicious look, as if she thought the princess had made her tutors sick on purpose to get out of lessons. "I guess you have the day for yourself."

"Yay!" Zelda leapt off her chair and gave Impa a big hug. "Oh, thank you, Impa!"

"But there is something I would like you to do . . ."

Zelda heaved a sigh and backed away. "What?"

"Don't sound so pessimistic before I've even told you what it is," Impa said with a wink. "I want you to go to the royal library and find some books for me."

"Some books?" Zelda repeated.

"Yes, I want you to find _The Book of Mudora_, _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present_, and _Secrets of Hylia Lore_. I think these are the old scripts Havieze was saying would tell you the answers to your questions. Find these books and look through them. I'll come to collect you later this evening when it's time to dress for supper."

"Why don't you come help me look?" Zelda implored. "There's a lot of stuff in those books I might not understand."

"Then I'll help you when I get back," Impa told her decisively. "I have some things I need to do. You know, errands and stuff . . ."

Without another word, Impa quickly turned and headed out of the chamber before Zelda could catch the guilty look on her face, but the princess knew something was going on that Impa was not telling her. Normally, Impa was far less obvious in her secretiveness, yet Zelda seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting things unspoken.

The princess shrugged her shoulders. _Might as well do what she wants. It's not like there's anything else to do. _With that, she headed toward the library.

Y -


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Library

**Disclaimer:**_The Legend of Zelda_is property ofNintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning _The Legend of Zelda_. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental.

Y -

**_"Elements of Hyrule" — _Chapter Thirteen: The Library**

By The Last Princess of Hyrule

Y -

The library was located on the ground floor of the castle. It was a large, grandly designed room with a high vaulted ceiling and tall glass windows on the east and west sides, guaranteeing sunlight inside no matter what the time of day. When Zelda entered through the library's gaping double doors, she was confronted by massive bookshelves heaped with even larger texts—tomes on all ranges of topics, and any assortment of scrolls in various conditions of age. Most of the older books were filled with yellowed pages, their gilded leaf titles on the covers flaking, while the younger were filled with the smell of relatively fresh ink.

The bookshelves were arranged in two rows of sixteen, and there were more shelves lining every free space of wall that was not a window or the massive fireplace at the far end of the room. Around it stood comfortable looking chairs of plush velvet and elegant tables of smooth cherry wood. The library, Zelda discovered as she meandered between the lofty shelves, was completely empty.

_I wonder why there isn't anybody here, _Zelda mused, looking around. Usually the library was filled with Hylian scholars, some climbing ladders to reach books highest up, and others poking through dusty old tomes that had not been used since some long ago scribe finished writing them. The tables near the fireplace should have been heaped with books and scrolls with faded words, with elderly men squinting and adjusting their glasses to read the tiny faded print, but none of this was present that day.

Zelda did not put much thought into the lack of activity in the library as she tried to remember which books Impa had wanted her to read. _Let's see . . . I think she wanted me to find _The Book of Mudora, _and _Secrets of Hylia Lore _. . . but what was that last one? _

Zelda climbed a ladder and pulled a random book off the shelf before her. _Hmm . . . _A Historie of Zoran Anatomy_ . . . I don't think so. _She put the book back. _These are all about the races and other creatures, _she realized as she spotted a thin pamphlet containing drawings of a rare species of wolfos called White Wolfos. _This isn't what I'm looking for. _

Zelda dropped down the ladder and headed toward a different shelf some distance away. _I wish the scholars would put up signs or something so I could know where everything was. I sure hope the rest of the library is at least as organized as that last shelf, though. _

At a place nearer to the fireplace and eastern-facing windows, the princess found a tall shelf containing books on the Creation. On a row near the floor was a stack of thick heavy volumes bound in faded russet leather. _Hith Kuude fu Mudora _read one. _This is it! _Without fully registering that the title was in Ancient Hylian, Zelda pulled the book into her lap and opened its cover. If she had been paying closer attention to it when it was on the shelf, she would not have been so dismayed when she found the rest of the book also written in Ancient Hylian.

_Oh no, I can't read all this. I can barely read any Ancient Hylian. _She closed the book and shoved it somewhat roughly back on the shelf. _There's gotta be a version of _The Book of Mudora _in modern Hylian script around here somewhere. _Zelda stood up on a stepstool and scanned the titles engraved on the books' spines. One book, _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present_, sparked her memory. _This is the last one Impa wanted me to find! _She grabbed it off the shelf, staggering under its weight, and hefted it onto the table nearest her, finding there was already a book occupying the space.

_I found it! _Zelda exclaimed, reading the embossed print of _The Book of Mudora_. _Now all I need is _Secrets of Hylia Lore . . . She climbed back up the stool and looked around, spotting the book a little way from where she had found _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present_.

With her three books, Zelda sat down in one of the big armchairs around the fireplace, sinking slightly in its squishy cushion. She looked back at the books dubiously. _How are these books supposed to answer my questions about Havieze's prophecy? _She thought about this for a moment. For a brief moment, she commented to herself that she had been musing on _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _quite a bit for one day. _Maybe my questions would make more sense if I knew exactly how _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _went. _Zelda picked up _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present _and slid it into her lap.

The pages were thick and heavy with old ink, and the book smelled musty and unused. Zelda flipped thought it at random, reading some of the shorter prophesies as they caught her eye and browsing on. Finally, she looked up her prophecy in the table of contents and opened to it.

_Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi, _it read,

_Foreseen:  
__3273 H.R. by the prophetess Havieze of Hylia_

_Recorded by:  
__The prophetess Havieze of Hylia_

_Basis Text of Hearing:  
__When the way and tie of Tradition art encountered by the mysterious of the Outside, and the nine year interim hath passed, a time of Darkness shalt begin._

_Yet, the Light of Creation hath power enough to bring about the downfall of the Black._

_Only when the Elements hath been gathered and the Golden Power of the outside world released and shattered, shalt the Battle of the Ages begin._

_The Three of the Virtues, the King, the Hero, and the Princess, must stand to fight alone and mayst the conqueror hold the Golden Power true._

_Details From the Seer:  
__A war of untold power shalt set into play the actions that shalt spur this prophecy into life, some ages of 1767 from this date. Secrecy, lies, deceit, and darkness are all elements felt did I as this prophecy came one night to me. Set into play shall be many other prophesies by this the master of its era, the dawn of an ages of darkness and a setting of an ages of light. _

A piece of paper had been shoved between the pages detailing _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_. Zelda picked it up and read:

_While there is not much on the details of _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi _recorded here, they are as follows:_

_The Three of the Virtues are the King of Evil, the Hero of Time, and the Princess of Destiny. _

_Their Virtues are Power, Courage, and Wisdom._

_The Time of Darkness will last seven 'ages'. The Hylia measurement of an age versus the Hylian measurement of a year is unclear._

_The Elements are the Elements of Time: The Door, the Altar, the Pedestal, the Ocarina, the Temple, the Hero, and the Song._

_The war of untold power was the Great War in which King James the Valiant slew the tyranny threatened by his younger brother the Forgotten Prince Phillip. _

_The Light of Creation and the Golden Power both describe the Triforce._

_Hyrule is the Outside._

These notes had been scrawled in the hand of someone who was obviously not a scholar, and not very adept in writing in the modern Hylian script. _I wonder who wrote this, _Zelda pondered as she looked over the paper. _Obviously someone besides me is interested in _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi . . . She tried to think of who she knew who might want to learn more about the prophecy. _It can't be Impa—I know her pen too well. It won't be a scholar—they can write better than this and whenever they take notes, they write everything in Ancient Hylian . . . hmm . . . I don't know anyone who writes this bad . . ._

Determining these speculations was pointless and taking her nowhere, Zelda shrugged and pushed the thought out of her mind. _Well, whoever it is, I'm glad they did the hard part in decoding the prophecy for me. But I still don't understand how any of this is connected to me or my dream. _Zelda tucking the paper back into its place, closed the book, and set it on the floor at her feet. From the stack beside her, Zelda grabbed _The Book of Mudora_ and pulled it onto her lap.

She opened its first pages.

_Table of Contents:_

_1 — Of and Concerning Origins  
__2 — Of the Nature of Din of Power  
__3 — Of the Nature of Nayru of Wisdom  
__4 — Of the Nature of Farore of Courage  
__5 — Of Chaos  
__6 — Of the Origin of the People Called Gerudo  
__7 — Of the Origin of the People Called Zora  
__8 — Of the Origin of the People Called Kokiri  
__9 — Of Chaos's First Return  
__10 — Of the Six Elements  
__11 — Of the Origin of the People Called Sheikah  
__12 — Of the Origin of the People Called Gorons  
__13 — Of the Origin of the People Called Hylians  
__14 — Of the Elemental Medallions and Sages  
__15 — Of the Sacred Realm  
__16 — Of the Period of Observation  
__17 — Of the Legacy Families  
__18 — Of the First Racial Wars and Chaos's Second Return  
__19 — Of the Seventh Element and Sage  
__20 — Of the Origin of the Triforce  
__21 — Of the Age of the Hylia  
__22 — Of the First Triforce Holder and the Resulting First War of Power  
__23 — Of the Sealing of the Sacred Realm  
__24 — Of the Downfall of the Hylia  
__25 — Of the Rising of the Hylian Lords  
__26 — Of Interaction with Termina  
__27 — Of Labrynna and Holodrum  
__28 — Of Calatia  
__29 — Of the Great Sea Beyond Termina and Its Mysteries  
__30 — Of the First Treaties  
__31 — Of the Rising of the Black Wizard Agahnim  
__32 — Of the Burning of the Black Wizard Agahnim  
__33 — Of the Second War of Power  
__34 — Of the Breaking of Treaties between the Races and Gerudo  
__35 — Of the Disappearance of the Kokiri  
__36 — Of the Mysteries of the Lost Woods  
__37 — Of the Third War of Power  
__38 — Of the Pledge of Loyalty between the Sheikah and the Hylians  
__39 — Of the Keys of the Sacred Realm  
__40 — Of the War of the Races and the Breaking of the Remaining First Treaties  
__41 — Of the Great War and the Reformation_

_The Book of Mudora_ was the foundation of all Hyrule history, as it was the first book in which a detailed description of the Creation had been written. The book held the ongoing history of Hyrule, constantly added to by scholars as the years went on. While it covered the fundamentals of Hylian history, it did not go into tedious detail on each subject. Thus, many other books on specific events of history had been written, specially covering ever-wearisome detail of the subject.

The forty-first chapter of _The Book of Mudora_, the one concerning the events of the Great War, was very recent, written only two years ago. It explained the intricacies of the recent Hylian civil war from its cause and conflict, to the locations of battles, to rosters of enlisted soldiers and whom they had supported, and then to the war's final end. Zelda did not linger on this chapter.

Her father had expressed his wishes to her once that she not read it, but Impa had insisted her History of Hyrule tutor teach the princess about it. _Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it," _Impa often quipped. _"James could do to remember that." _She often went off on discussions with Sir Talmar on the irony of the whole situation. Listening to them talk, Zelda was often confused, and, late one night she snuck into the library and read the chapter 41. While she had learned much about the Great War from her lessons, Zelda was never taught its origins. Even Impa was not willing to tell her charge that her own uncle's jealously was the spark of the war.

Eventually, Zelda bullied the whole story out of her caretaker and learned more about her uncle, mother, and grandfather than all the hushed rumors passed amongst the servants through the castle over her head could ever tell her. The cold, dark, frightening story of neglect and desire not only touched Zelda's heart, it tickled her sixth sense. Somehow, she could almost _feel _Phillip's loathing of his brother, Liana's loving concern for her husband at war, and Clarence's subjective preference of his eldest son to his youngest to the very end. Being a child of eight at the time, the feelings frightened Zelda and she no longer wanted to learn more. She wanted nothing more to do with the dark past. Though she was older and more mature now, the princess could not control the feeling of foreboding whenever she heard about the Great War.

As she was reading the table of contents, Zelda noticed out of the corner of her eye a bookmark somewhere near the far end of the tome. She opened to its place, chapter 39 — _Of the Keys of the Sacred Realm_. The text looked long and involved and no child of ten years old, not even one that was Princess of Hyrule, could sit still long enough to read the entire thing on will alone. This time she did not have the incentive of secrets kept from her to push her to suffer the monotonous text, so Zelda skimmed the chapter until one part caught her eye.

_'. . . By following the instructions,' _it read,_ 'one might open a Door to the Sacred Realm. However, first it is required that one stand before the Altar with all three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time, which has never been done to this day. There is no record of what might be beyond the Door to the Sacred Realm, but it is rumored that the holder of the Keys to the Sacred Realm will be able to capture the Triforce from its resting place in the Golden World.'_

_The Triforce in the Golden World?_ She asked herself. _I didn't know there were Keys to get access to the Triforce. _The Triforce, the sacred emblem and basis of all Hylian province and religion, was fabled to be a physical object hidden within a fabled second realm of Hyrule. The relic was said to possess the power of the goddesses, the power to grant the deepest desires of the holder's heart. The ultimate power and a prize worthy of any questing hero. Many people who believed the legends had sought and failed to even enter the Sacred Realm.

_Why hasn't my history tutor ever told me about this? _Though many people of all backgrounds and kinds believed the legends, there was speculation whether or not they could be considered fact. At that time, religion _was _fact and every detail concerning the Golden Goddesses, Creation, and the great Triforce was considered true. Zelda's History of Hyrule tutor was a stuffy old man with no hair and white skin from being closed up in his study for days on end. He was doubtful of the Triforce's existence and, as a result, neglected to teach much of its lore to the princess. Impa usually had to fill her in later and constantly complained about non-believers and their drain on society. Zelda listened to her caretaker's rants politely, but usually found them product of Impa overreacting.

The princess fingered the leather bookmark in her left hand absently and tried to think who might be interested in the Keys to the Sacred Realm. Everyone she knew, it seemed, she could think of a logical explanation as to why they would be interested in the Triforce, whether it was faith in its existence or desire to prove it a myth. Unfortunately, for all her pondering, she gained no ground toward unraveling the growing mystery surrounding _Purhpciy fu hith Papuulcespi_. The more she tried to learn, the more questions she came up with.

_This is hopeless_, she thought in exasperation, closing _The Book of Mudora_ and dropping it on the floor atop _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present_. Zelda grabbed the last book from the table and looked at it regretfully. It was a small book with a cover that was stained sky blue and the words stamped on it were in black ink rather than gilt leaf. _I almost don't want to learn anything else._ _I've got more questions than I can handle right now. _Despite her reluctance, Zelda opened the book and began to read.

_The Secrets of Hylia Lore_ was not what she expected. Instead of being a long, involved examination of stories from the time of the Hylia, the book actually explained in-depth mysterious Hylia tales and prophecies. In fact, it was quite interesting. Zelda skimmed the book pleasurably, finding in it several stories that interested her, and many, many riddles, most of which were translated from Ancient Hylian into modern script, the original riddle copied word for word at the beginning, then a detail explanation of its meaning underneath. In the back of the book, however, were a section of translated riddles that had not been solved, and it was these that caught Zelda's attention.

_This one looks interesting . . ._ She stopped on a page sporting three entwining elements; Fire, Forest, and Water; in a carefully detailed image on the upper left corner of the paper. Written around it was the original Ancient Hylian text of an unexplained riddle, while beneath that was the translation. For a change of pace, she read it aloud in a whisper.

"'A day in an age of many came a rift upon within the sky where forth wept the earth to the tear of life upon the ground dry brittle. From whence it fell the deity great and mortal yet not so from the ground did blossom, holding forth within its womb the properties of Life as on of the tear.'

"'An age and several passed, an era fell and rose again, and the gift of flame was bestowed upon the earth. The peoples of the races on legions long and wide did gather and vie for the gift, but one above all became the triumphant and they the masters. The gift of flame, though whose properties were allot, was coveted in dark secret by the masters of its presence.'

"'Time and era were as faltered and the fortune of water was, by those prosperous, pacifist, and yet proud, discovered in the berth of their most holy, who was not as such at origin, and hence became forth with the reward of water's fortune. Its secrets were kept sealed and hidden, to whence forth no being understand full nor fractional.'"

Zelda's head was spinning. _What's all that gibberish supposed to mean? No wonder no one's ever solved this riddle._ For a few long minutes, she stared at the page and tried to understand it on her own, but to no avail. All she managed to accomplish was to worsen the headache that had slowly increased in discomfort with the hour.

She sighed and leaned back, letting her head fall against the backrest and tilting her chin to gaze at the arched ceiling. Strange . . . it looked more orange than it should have for midday. Zelda sat up and peered around the chair to a western-facing window, confronted by a blinding beam of light she had failed to notice while immersed in her books. The sun was well on its evening descent. Suddenly, the princess was aware that she had been in the library for many more hours than she originally thought.

As she was realizing this, she heard the library's entrance creak steadily as it opened to admit another body. Zelda turned to the sound and found Sir Talmar, the knight that had escorted the prophetess Havieze to Zelda's bedroom that morning, walking purposefully toward her, bowing when he reached her chair.

"Good evening, Your Highness," he said with courtly respect. "Your father, the King, has instructed me to escort you to supper, which will be held in the Great Hall in two hours. Will you allow me the honor of escorting you to your chambers to dress?"

Zelda giggled. Talmar was like Impa in the way that he seemed big on respect and proper behavior, but the princess could tell behind his words that he was laughing too at the formality. And she could see it sparkling in his vibrant cerulean eyes. Talmar was part of a group of knights Impa had chosen years ago to be Zelda's personal protection regiment, so she was very comfortable around him.

"Yeah, sure," she replied, her words a strong contrast to Talmar's chivalrous speech. "Just let me put these books away." Quickly, she dog-eared the pages that she had been examining, disregarding the fact that the three tomes were too old and frail for this type of treatment. Gathering them into her arms, she returned to the shelf from which they had come. _The Book of Mudora_ and _Prophecies of 2000 H.R. to Present _she pushed to their original places, but _The Secrets of Hylia Lore_, whose place she had forgotten, Zelda tucked under her arm to read later with Impa, reasoning that the mysterious Sheikah might have better understanding of the cryptic text than the young princess.

With this in order, she held out a dainty hand for Sir Talmar to take and lead her to her room. Talmar was hardly able to repress his laughter at the mock etiquette with which Zelda joked her actions.

Y -

**Effective 11 - 16 - 2003: **

Due to lack of interest on the author's part, this story has been discontinued until further notice, most likely indefinitely. My apologies to anyone who hoped it would someday be finished.


End file.
